A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Canada condemned a joint statement published on the website of Global Affairs Canada, the Canadian government department responsible for diplomatic affairs, on Tuesday.

The statement was issued by Canada and the Republic of Korea (ROK) after their foreign and defense ministerial meeting. The spokesperson criticized the statement for "blatantly pointing its finger" at Taiwan region, the South China Sea and other issues related to China's core interests, while exaggerating the situation.

The spokesperson emphasized that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and that the Taiwan question is purely an internal matter, leaving no room for external interference.

"The greatest threat to cross-Straits peace is the 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities and foreign interference," the spokesperson stated. "If the relevant countries truly hope to contribute to peace and stability in the region, they should earnestly abide by the one-China principle and unequivocally oppose the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces."

Regarding the South China Sea, the spokesperson reaffirmed that the situation remains generally stable, and China is committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation with the directly concerned countries.

"The South China Sea is one of the safest and freest maritime routes in the world, and there has never been any problem with the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea," the spokesperson said. "The Chinese side urges non-regional countries to genuinely respect the efforts of regional countries to resolve disputes through negotiation and to stop stirring up trouble."