Taipei, April 17 -- Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed a joint statement released by China and Vietnam, which mentioned Taiwan as part of China and described it "a serious distortion of the facts," Taiwan News reported.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit on Tuesday, Vietnam backed China's claim that "Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory" and opposed "any separatist activity" seeking Taiwan Independence, Taiwan News reported, citing Viet Nam News.

In response to the joint statement issued by China and Vietnam, the ministry said it "strongly condemns and firmly refutes the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarian regime for continuing to spread rhetoric that internationally undermines Taiwan's sovereignty."...