Beijing, China - China called Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te a "war instigator" on Thursday after he claimed in an AFP interview that other countries in the region would be next if Beijing seizes control of the island.

In his first interview with a global news agency since taking office in May 2024, Lai told AFP that if China were to take Taiwan, Beijing would become "more aggressive" and would turn its sights on Japan, the Philippines, and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

China's foreign ministry accused Lai on Thursday of provoking aggression, calling him a "war instigator."

"Lai Ching-te's remarks once again exposed his stubborn pro-independence nature, fully proving that he is a peace disruptor, crisis creator, and war instigator," foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference.

"No matter what Lai Ching-te says or does, it cannot change the historical and legal fact that Taiwan is part of China's territory," he said.

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force if the self-governed island moves towards independence.

Taiwan has stepped up efforts to strengthen security and economic ties with Europe, its third-largest export market, at a time when questions have been raised over US willingness to defend the island.

In his interview with AFP, Lai called for greater defense and artificial intelligence cooperation between Taiwan and Europe.

In response, Beijing's foreign ministry insisted efforts to boost cooperation between Taiwan and Europe would be futile as a means of defending the island.

"Seeking independence by relying on foreign support and using force to refuse reunification are acts of sheer folly, and doomed to fail," Lin told reporters.

While Taiwan has spent billions of dollars upgrading its military in the past decade, it remains under pressure by President Donald Trump's administration to invest more, as well as increase semiconductor production in the US.