BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- China deplores that certain individuals in India have tried to undermine China's sovereignty on the Taiwan question and impede the improvement of China-India relations, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday.

"China expresses serious concerns and firm opposition to this," Mao said at a regular press briefing, when answering a query on reports that Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar had been misquoted on India's position on the Taiwan question -- reports which came from Indian government sources.

China has released readouts on the talks between the Chinese and Indian foreign ministers, Mao said, adding that for the Chinese side, the Indian side's so-called "clarification" came as a surprise, which is inconsistent with the facts.

Mao stressed that there is but one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, adding that this is a prevailing consensus among the international community, including India.

"We hope India will earnestly abide by the one-China principle, properly handle sensitive issues and promote the steady development of bilateral relations," Mao said.