US must honor consensus and handle Taiwan question prudently: spokeswoman

Washington should implement the important consensus reached between the heads of state of China and the United States during their meeting and prudently handle the Taiwan question, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday.

Mao made the remarks following a report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, which claims that a conflict between the US and China over Taiwan would risk a nuclear escalation with both militaries likely to stage sweeping operations targeting rival command and communication hubs.

The Taiwan question is China's internal affair and how to solve it is the business of the Chinese people, which brooks no external interference, Mao told a daily news conference.

To safeguard the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, one must unequivocally oppose "Taiwan independence", she added.