BEIJING, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense said on Friday that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities had been creating and spreading panic about a potential war.

File photo: CFP

In response to a recent annual military exercise on the island, spokesperson Chen Xi said the Han Kuang exercise has always been a bluff and a waste of money and manpower. The exercise included controversial temporary slowdowns of mobile internet in parts of the island.

Chen warned that the DPP authorities' attempt to pursue their "Taiwan independence" agenda would never succeed, and that the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which has continuously strengthened its combat capabilities, will always be ready to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and maintain peace and security across the Taiwan Strait.