China to Firmly Oppose Actions Aimed at Promoting Taiwan's Independence

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China will firmly oppose any actions aimed at promoting Taiwan's independence and interference by external forces in the country's internal affairs, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office Chen Binhua said on Saturday, commenting on the results of the island's elections.

Earlier in the day, the Taiwanese Central Election Commission named Lai Ching-te, the candidate from Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the winner of the regional leader's election as he secured 40.05% of the vote. The DPP itself, however, lost 11 seats in the Legislative Yuan, the island's parliament, as a result of the elections.

"We will adhere to the 1992 consensus, which embodies the One China principle, and firmly oppose separatist actions aimed at achieving Taiwan's independence, as well as interference by external forces," Chen told a briefing.

Beijing will work with all political parties and groups of Taiwan's society to promote exchanges and cooperation with the island, as well as peaceful relations with Taipei and the "reunification of the motherland," the spokesman added,

"Today's elections in the Taiwan region showed that the Democratic Progressive Party does not represent mainstream opinion on the island. Taiwan is part of China," Chen added.

In this regard, the island's elections will not change the main direction of the development of relations on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and "the common desire of compatriots on both sides of the strait to become closer," the spokesman also said.