The Chinese government said on Monday that Taiwan had manipulated a case of alleged Chinese involvement in the latest damage to an undersea communications cable in the Taiwan Strait, Reuters reported.
According to Beijing, Taipei is spreading slander before the facts are clear, the agency added.
Reuters recalls that Taiwan, which is considered by China to be Chinese territory, has repeatedly complained of subversive actions by Beijing in the "gray zone" around the democratically self-governing island.
Taiwan's coast guard said it had detained a China-linked cargo ship yesterday after an undersea cable to the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait was severed near the vessel.
"With the basic facts and people responsible for the incident still unclear, the Democratic Progressive Party is deliberately exaggerating the situation in an attempt at political manipulation that will not win it public support," said Zhu Fengliang, a spokeswoman for the Chinese government's Taiwan affairs office, referring to the ruling party of Taiwanese President William Lai.