MK sports a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, attends a press conference in Beijing, on September 13, 2023. Photo: VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2023/2023-09-21/b32ed4e2-ad05-4edd-b0ff-f510598481a8.jpeg" />

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, attends a press conference in Beijing, on September 13, 2023. Photo: VCG

Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te's insistence on "Taiwan independence" and his promotion of separatist rhetoric severely challenges the one-China principle and threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, which the Chinese mainland will not tolerate or condone, said Chen Binhua, a spokesperson of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office.

Lai has been in office as the Taiwan regional leader for over 100 days, during which he has continued to advocate "Taiwan independence" and intensified collusion with foreign forces to advance this agenda.

Chen said that "Taiwan independence" is a disaster and a dead end and will never succeed or change the situation. "We have the firm will, full confidence, and sufficient capability to thwart any separatist attempts. If 'Taiwan independence' separatists dare to make risky moves, we will take all necessary measures to crush their attempts decisively," said Chen. 

Chen said that cross-Straits relations are based among the people and are driven by the people. Despite the current complex situation, cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation have continued this year. 

In the first half of the year, cross-Straits people-to-people exchanges  increased by 99.5 percent compared to the same period last year, and the number of new enterprises established by people from the Taiwan island in the mainland grew by 9.2 percent and cross-Straits trade volume rose by 7.6 percent, Chen said. 

All these have proved that no force can change the desire of people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to get closer or stop the momentum of advancing cross-Straits relations, Chen underlined. 

The overall strategy to resolve the Taiwan question remains the adherence to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, opposing "Taiwan independence," and all forms of foreign interference. The mainland has always taken the leading role in developing cross-Straits relations. The mainland will persist in advancing peaceful development and the reunification process, Chen added. 

Global Times