Taiwan opposition leader's speeches criticized

The leader of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party is maintaining a confrontational attitude toward the Chinese mainland, which threatens the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

The party's chairman Su Tseng-chang recently made speeches to the European Parliament and the University of London that called Taiwan a sovereign state and criticized the Chinese mainland.

The party leader's attempts to sell the idea of "Taiwan independence" globally have exposed his true vision, Ma said. He added that the leader's mission will ultimately end in failure.

"Taiwan and the mainland belong to one China. It is a fact that cannot be changed by any forces," he said.

According to a statement from the office in mid-January, leaders of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan maintained frequent communication last year that boosted mutual trust and resulted in booming economic and trade exchanges.

Trade volume between the mainland and Taiwan reached $197.2 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 16.7 percent.