Taiwan's ruling party hit back hard at China's Taiwan Affairs Office, saying Beijing is the side breaking the peace — a sign relations are getting worse, not better.

• China's Taiwan Affairs Office accused the DPP of knee-jerk anti-China obsession and claimed Taiwan is under a "green terror."
• The DPP's China affairs department called that backwards, saying prosecuting Chinese spies and blocking foreign election meddling is defending democracy, not repression.
• Taiwan says it still wants exchanges with China, but not as a cover for pressure campaigns, military harassment, or election interference.
• The DPP blames Beijing for cutting off official talks after 2016, halting Chinese tourism and student visits, and banning some Taiwanese farm and fish products.
• Its core charge: China exploits Taiwan's open society to undermine the freedoms that make it open.

Outlook: With both sides trading blame and no talks in sight, cross-strait tension looks set to stay high through the coming months.