Mainland slams 'Taiwan independence'

BEIJING - A mainland spokesman on Wednesday voiced strong opposition to the "Taiwan independence" stance, noting it runs against the development momentum of cross-Straits relations and the will of Taiwan people.

Yang Yi, a spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when asked to comment on a letter from Tsai Ing-wen, former chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), to inquiry the island's leader Ma Ying-jeou on the concept of "one country, two areas" raised by Kuomintang leaders.

Yang said the letter demonstrated the stance of "Taiwan independence" long held by Tsai.

The letter displayed Tsai's support for the concept of "one country on each side," which is clearly part of "Taiwan independence" theories, Yang said.

Any individual or organization that supports such a concept will get nowhere, as it runs counter to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and violates mainstream public opinion of Taiwan's society, he said.

If the DPP gives up its stance of "Taiwan independence," the mainland would like to give a positive response, Yang said at a regular press conference when commenting on former DPP Chairman Hsieh Chang-ting's calls for a new exchange platform between the DPP and the mainland.

Moreover, Yang welcomed DPP members to visit the mainland.

The mainland hopes the DPP to be aware that the idea of "Taiwan independence" harms the basic interests of Taiwanese people and hinders cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, he said.