Mainland criticizes Taiwan official's visit to Japan

A Chinese mainland spokeswoman on Monday expressed firm opposition to the recent visit to Japan by a senior official from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities, calling the move "provocative" and "contemptible".

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, criticized the DPP authorities for adhering to a "Taiwan independence" separatist stance and resorting to various means to pursue "independence" by relying on external forces.

"They are outright destroyers of cross-Strait peace and stability and creators of crises in the Taiwan Strait," she said.

Her remarks came after Cho Jung-tai, head of the island's "executive yuan," visited Japan. Cho attended a World Baseball Classic game between Chinese Taipei and the Czech Republic in Tokyo on Saturday, according to media reports.

Zhu said the visit by a senior DPP official, carried out under the guise of a so-called "private trip," was in fact a provocative act aimed at seeking "Taiwan independence," condemning it as "sneaky and underhanded behavior that is contemptible."

She reiterated that the Taiwan question is China's internal affair and brooks no external interference.

"By allowing a leading figure of the DPP authorities to visit, Japan has violated the one-China principle and the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, as well as international law and the basic norms governing international relations," Zhu said, expressing firm opposition to the move, which she said sent a seriously wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

She urged Japan to draw lessons from history and correct its mistakes, calling on it to stop manipulating and making reckless moves on the Taiwan question.

Zhu also expressed hope that Taiwan compatriots will recognize the harmful intentions and dangers of the DPP authorities' pursuit of "Taiwan independence," and firmly oppose separatist activities and external interference to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.