The director of both the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council yesterday criticized the secession activities of Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian.
The Chinese mainland says that the accelerating independence activities of Chen will not only cause severe crisis in the area, but also do damage to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
China says that Chen is creating problems for previously proposed guidelines that outlined a three-phase goal for the realization of China's reunification.
The "National Unification Guidelines" (NUC) were issued in 1991, saying both the mainland and Taiwan are under the sovereignty of China and promoting the state's reunification should be the common task of all Chinese.
The NUC was established in 1990 by the Taiwan authorities headed by Lee Teng-hui, and fourteen meetings were held after its establishment. However, no NUC meeting has been held since Chen Shui-bian became Taiwan leader.
Local media report that it is a common wish of Chinese people in the mainland and Taiwan that peaceful and stable progress of the cross-strait relations should be promoted continuously, the director said, calling for full efforts to push forward development of the cross-strait relations and the country's peaceful reunification course.