Some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members were reportedly pushing ahead with legislation on a referendum in the "Legislative Yuan", or Taiwan's parliament. A 1999 resolution adopted by the pro-independence DPP stipulates that altering the island's status quo must be decided through a referendum.

But any such referendum would be illegal and invalid, Zhang Mingqing, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a regular press conference yesterday.

"The conspiracy to separate Taiwan from China will go nowhere", he warned.

The separatist moves go against the common aspirations of the Chinese people for national reunification.

"All the Chinese people should stay alert for the attempt by a handful of pro-independence members to promote Taiwan independence and split the motherland," he said.

Taiwan's legal status as part of the Chinese territory has been explicitly stated in both domestic and international laws. Zhang stressed that Taiwan belongs to all 1.3 billion Chinese people including Taiwan compatriots. "So the future of Taiwan should be determined by all 1.3 billion," he said.

Direct links

No foreign companies will be allowed to participate in cross-Straits air and sea transport operations once the three links - transport, trade and postal services - are put into place, the spokesman noted.

"Cross-straits direct links are purely internal affairs of both sides of the Taiwan Straits and we will not agree to allow foreign shipping companies and airlines to engage in related business," Zhang said.

In another development, Beijing has approved a request from China Airlines, Taiwan's biggest airlines, to use mainland air space to avoid the risk of flying over the Middle East during the war in Iraq.

This is the first time in more than five decades that Taiwan aircraft have received permission to fly over the mainland.

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