BEIJING (Reuters) - China will exert utmost efforts to realise "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, its foreign ministry said on Monday, after the Chinese foreign minister declared last week that the island would never be "a country".

China will exert utmost efforts to realise "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, but will take all necessary steps to safeguard China's territorial integrity, its foreign ministry said on Monday. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory despite the objection of the government in Taipei.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army is warning against the escalation of separatist activities in Taiwan. A spokesperson for the army announced that they would tighten the noose around the island in case of further provocations.