Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Friday that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the nation, and that it is right and proper for China to uphold its sovereignty.

Qin made the remarks at the Lanting Forum in Shanghai, where he discussed a wide range of topics from debt, the global economy, and Taiwan.

"Recently there has been absurd rhetoric accusing China of upending the status quo, disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Qin said. "The logic is absurd and the conclusion dangerous."

Beijing recently held military exercises around the island after Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen held a meeting in Los Angeles with US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. (Reuters)