The Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it strongly opposed the planned stopover in the United States by Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen, and Beijing had lodged stern "representations" with Washington about it.

The ministry’s spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press briefing in Beijing that the real intention of the transit is to propagate Taiwan independence.

"We again warn the Taiwan authorities that there is no way out for Taiwan independence, and any illusions about attempts to collude with external forces to seek independence and provocation is doomed to fail," Wang said.

His statement comes after Taiwan said Tsai would transit through New York and Los Angeles as part of a trip to Guatemala and Belize, expected to start from March 29 and end on April 7. (Reuters)