The Chinese government and Chinese people will not sit by and just watch if Chen Shui-bian, leader of China's Taiwan Province, sticks to his timetable of "Taiwan independence" aiming to change Taiwan's status as part of China.

Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council, said Wednesday at a regular press conference that Chen has blatantly thrown out separatist remarks on "Taiwan independence" in recent time.

Chen has openly put forward to expire "Chinese Constitution" in three or four years. He attempted to promote public vote on the draft of "new constitution" in 2006 to "give birth to an appropriate and feasible new constitution for Taiwan", and make the constitution take effect in 2008, Li said.

According to Li, Chen recently raised that disputes on "constitutional government reform" should focus on the real changes brought about by the reform rather than the wording differences between "amendment" and "constitution", Li said.

Chen said that "China is a foreign country and an enemy", and alleged that the so-called "overseas institutions" of Taiwan should be renamed as "overseas Taiwan office" in two years, and all international unites of Taiwan should be renamed if their names are easily confused with China.

Chen also alleged to join the United Nations in the name of Taiwan.

At the same time, Chen tried to delude the Taiwan people and the world consensus by putting forward to promote consultative dialogues across the Taiwan Strait, and to set up long-lasting framework for the peace and stability between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, Li said.

"Chen's separatist remarks of 'Taiwan independence' has uncovered his disguise of promoting peace and easing the cross-Strait relations," Li said.

On the opposite, Chen's action has tensed the relations across the Taiwan Straits and served as the key source to disturb the stability and prosperous of the Asia-Pacific regions, Li said.

The "Taiwan independence" activities of Chen's authority not only triggered fierce indignation of the 1.3 billion Chinese people, but also encountered question and opposition from the international community, Li said.

Separatism and "Taiwan independence" will not lead to peace and stability, Li said, noting that further development of the gradually upgraded separatist activities of the Chen's authority will inevitably ruin cross-Strait peace, and damage Taiwan's social stability and economic development and hurt the basic interests of Taiwan people as a result.

Li stressed that the one-China policy is the basis for developing cross-Strait relations, and any remarks and activities that violate this principle or attempt to change the fact that Taiwan is part of China run counter to the aspirations of compatriots across the Straits, who are longing for stability and development of the cross-Straits relations.

"We have the utmost sincerity to try our best for peaceful solution of the Taiwan issue, " Li said. "We firmly oppose the attempt to separate Taiwan from China by any person in any way."

Separatist actions prove unpopular

The victory of Taiwan's three opposition parties in Taiwan's legislature election has proved that the recent provocative "Taiwan independence" separatist activities cannot win popular support, the spokesman said.

Li made the remarks at a regular press conference to respond to the question of a journalist from Taiwan on the victory of Taiwan's three opposition parties which form the "pan-blue" alliance.

Li said the Chinese government's policy toward Taiwan is consistent and clear, namely the basic principle of peaceful reunification and "one country, two systems," and the eight-point proposal on promoting the development of cross-Straits relations and the motherland's peaceful reunification.

"We will strive to resolve the Taiwan issue peacefully with the greatest sincerity and utmost efforts," he said. "But we absolutely cannot tolerate 'Taiwan independence,' and absolutely cannot allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China by any means."

"The Chinese government and people have the determination, confidence and capability to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Li said.

On the development of cross-Straits relations after the election, Li said it depends on the stance adopted by the Taiwan authorities.

As long as the Taiwan authorities return to the one-China principle and abandon the remarks and actions concerning "Taiwan Independence," there will be a bright prospect for the peaceful and stale development of cross-Straits relationship, he said.

On whether the Chinese mainland will invite figures of the "pan-blue" alliance for a visit, Li said "it is our consistent stance that we welcome any figure or organization from Taiwan to come to the mainland and fully exchange views on developing cross-Straits relations and promoting peaceful reunification of the motherland."

Remarks over "the fifth column" are nonsense

The remarks made by certain persons on the Taiwan island calling stowaways from the Chinese mainland as "the fifth column" are completely groundless, said Li.

The queer remarks are entirely "Arabian Nights" and "rumor creation from nothing", Li said at the regular press conference Wednesday in reply to a Taiwan journalist's question on the newly-issued "national defense white paper" of Taiwan, which said stowaways from the Chinese mainland might be "the fifth column".

Whose major purpose was to upgrade the hostility and create opposition between the peoples across the Taiwan Straits, the spokesman said.

Cross-Straits financial exchanges

The spokesman urged the Taiwan authorities to make tangible efforts to promote the financial cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

Currently, stagnant exchanges between the financial circles of the two sides are mainly blocked by the unreasonable barriers set by the Taiwan authorities, according to Li.

Li made the remarks while commenting on a report in Taiwan's media that stockjobbers with net value of more than 7 billion New Taiwan dollars (214 million US dollars) were allowed by the Taiwan authorities to open branches in the Chinese mainland.

With the development of economic and trade relations across the Taiwan Straits, it is imperative to step up cooperation in securities, banking and insurance sectors, the spokesman said.

The mainland has adopted positive measures in the past years to boost financial exchanges and cooperation across the Straits, and approved Taiwan financial institutions to open 38 offices in Chinese mainland. In addition, Taiwan businesses have been made accessible to the A-share stock market in the mainland, with two Taiwan companies having been listed on the A-share stock market, Li noted.

He expressed his hope that the Taiwan authorities lift the barriers hindering financial exchanges for the benefits of Taiwan people and Taiwan's economic development.

Chinese mainland to care more for Taiwan compatriots

The Chinese mainland will, as always, spare no efforts to care for the compatriots in Taiwan.

Li made the remarks in response to the question from a Taiwanese journalist on the recent cooperation across the Taiwan Straits to save the baby of a Taiwanese businessman.

The premature baby was born in Shanghai on May 1 this year, only 28 weeks after the mother got pregnant. On Dec. 9, the 7-month baby, with tubes around his body, was sent by bus to Xiamen that is very close to Taiwan, and then was ferried to Quemoy island of Taiwan. It is a route that is not allowed under normal conditions.

Li was asked whether the mainland will continue to transport serious patients to Taiwan through the "short link" -- the water course connecting the coastal areas in southeastern China's Fujian Province and Taiwan, in an effort to facilitate medical aid and home-return for Taiwanese business people.

Li said that in cases when Taiwanese business people are in emergency, the mainland will seek the best way to send the seriously ill to wherever the patients need to be sent to.

He said the mainland is sincere to promote the "three direct links" across the Taiwan Straits to benefit the people on both sides.

The mainland has taken a chain of measures to facilitate the exchanges across the Straits. For example, Taiwanese people in the mainland can charter flights to go home during the Spring Festival, a traditional season for family re-union. Such a move will be carried on in the future, Li said.

By People's Daily Online