China has been increasing its activities in the vicinity of Taiwan in the last few days, with military training coming from Chinese ships close to Taiwan waters and overflights over a region bordering Taiwanese air space but within their air defense identification zone, to which Taiwan sent up fighters in response. PLA spokesman Wu Qian said that these operations were “a stern response to the interference by external forces and the provocations of the Taiwan independence forces…. We are seriously telling those Taiwan independence forces: those who play with fire will burn themselves, and Taiwan independence means war,” Wu said. “The Chinese People’s Liberation Army will take all necessary measures to resolutely thwart any form of Taiwan independence separatist attempts and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”