A spokesman for China's central authorities said in Beijing Wednesday that Taiwan regional leader Chen Shui-bian's "easing tension" remarks in his Oct. 10 speech are false words.

"Facts have clearly shown that Chen puts on a show of trying to ease tension, but what he is really doing is promoting Taiwan independence," said Zhang Mingqing, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council (China's cabinet), at a press conference Wednesday morning.

Zhang said that since May the Taiwan authorities led by Chen have been gradually escalating separatist activities both in Taiwan and internationally. These include so-called constitutional reform and continued lobbying for inclusion in the United Nations and arms purchases.

"Chen claims he has intentions of easing tension and confrontation across the Strait, but in his speech he obstinately sticks to his stand of 'one country on each side' across the Straits," said the spokesman. "Moreover, he continues to deny the fact that Taiwan is a part of China and wants only to stigmatize and viciously attack the motherland to fuel tensions across the Straits."

Zhang highlighted Chen's statement that "The Republic of China is Taiwan and Taiwan is the Republic of China."

"This was an open and audacious expression of Taiwan independence," he said. "It constitutes another grave provocation against peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits."

Zhang said the mainland has repeatedly called for early resumption of cross-Straits dialogue on the basis of the "one-China" principle. In 1992, the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) of the mainland and the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) of Taiwan reached the consensus verbally that "both sides across the Taiwan Straits adhere to the "one-China principle".

He said compatriots on both sides of the Straits are brothers and that peace and stability across the Straits conform to the interests and aspirations of compatriots on both sides. He warned that separatist activities will undermine peace and stability and that Chen's pursuit of independence will bring disaster to the people of Taiwan.

He called on the people of Taiwan to join the resolute fight against independence and to safeguard cross-Straits peace.

(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2004)