Li Weiyi, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, denied a report that Taiwan's Chen Shui-bian sent a "secret envoy" to Beijing in March.

"I don't have any materials on the 'secret envoy' issue," Li said here Wednesday at a regular briefing.

Chen has no choice but to accept the one-China principle if he really wishes for peace, stability and development of the relations between the two sides across the Taiwan Straits, he said.

"We don't care who is elected as Taiwanese leader. We only carewhether he accepts the one-China principle," he said.

Li said after the leader election in Taiwan, the mainland will stick to the current policies towards Taiwan on the basis of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems."

The mainland objects to Taiwan's allowing foreign ships to participate in transportation across the Taiwan Straits, since this violates the principle that foreign ships should not provide domestic transportation service, he said.

The mainland cannot accept the internationalization of cross-Strait sea routes, Li said, urging for realization of "three direct links" across the Taiwan Strait as early as possible.

Source: Xinhua