Beijing (dpa) – Beijing will "not renounce the use of force" in its plan to reunite with Taiwan, according to a defence white paper released Wednesday, which also warns against independence efforts in the regions of Tibet and Xinjiang.

Taiwan’s "complete reunification" with China is in China’s fundamental interests "and essential to realizing national rejuvenation," the paper said.

"China must be and will be reunited," it said. "We make no promise to renounce the use of force, and reserve the option of taking all necessary measures."

Taiwan is a self-governed democracy that China sees as a renegade province.

The white paper said the threat was not directed at Taiwan compatriots but at "the interference of external forces" and at separatist activities.

The United States this month approved 2 billion dollars’ worth of arms sales to Taiwan, drawing Beijing’s ire.

The US is undermining global strategic stability, the defence paper said, adding that Washington has adopted "unilateral policies" and "has provoked and intensified competition among major countries."

Cracking down against proponents of separatist movements in Tibet and Xinjiang is also among Beijing’s main defence goals.

Regarding territorial tensions in the South China Sea between China and its South-East Asian neighbours, the paper said the situation was generally stable and improving.

The paper outlined the need for "greater efforts" required to modernize the People’s Liberation Army, which China says lags "far behind" the world’s leading militaries.

Beijing aims to complete the military’s modernization by 2035 and fully transform its armed forces into a world-class force by the middle of the century.

In recent years, China has cut its military personnel by 300,000, maintaining 2 million troops, which still makes it the world’s largest military.

Defence expenditure was 1.26 per cent of GDP in 2017, the government said, the lowest rate among the permanent members of the UN Security Council.