BEIJING - A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday said that the United States' scheming on the Taiwan question is known to all, and said that US attempt to contain China by using Taiwan is just wishful thinking.

Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to the US State Department's contradictory expressions about the US Taiwan-related policy.

Noting that the United States has been trying to hollow out the one-China principle, Wu warned that any such action will bring harm to the country itself.

Wu said that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China. "This is a universal consensus of the international community and a commonly recognized norm governing international relations."

Wu noted that the recent visits of certain U.S. senators to Taiwan, where they made provocative remarks, were political grandstanding.

"China firmly opposes this," Wu said.

"Those clamoring to make the Chinese mainland pay a price should get prepared to pay the price themselves," Wu said.