China's defence minister, Dong Jun, said on Sunday Beijing was committed to a peaceful reunification with Taiwan but that this prospect was being eroded by foreign forces and by "separatists" on the democratically ruled island.

"We will take resolute actions to curb Taiwan independence and make sure such a plot never succeeds," Dong said at the Shangri-La Dialogue conference in Singapore.

(Reporting by Liz Lee; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)