"Taiwan independence" and peace are irreconcilable: spokesperson

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, gestures at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- "Taiwan independence" and peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday, urging certain politicians in Taiwan to give up on their separatist position.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the comments at a press conference in response to a media inquiry concerning remarks made by certain Taiwan politicians recently.

Ma said the pursuit of peace, development, communication and cooperation is the common aspiration of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and conforms to their common interests.

If these politicians really want peace across the Strait, they should give up on their separatist "Taiwan independence" position, return to the 1992 Consensus, and cease acting as the pawns of external anti-China forces, Ma said.

He also made remarks regarding the controversy over the extension of compulsory military service to one year in Taiwan by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities.

Noting that the DPP uses military means in its attempts to seek "Taiwan independence" and resist reunification, Ma said this move would only escalate tensions across the Strait and undermine the safety and well-being of the Taiwan people.

If the DPP returns to the common political foundation of the 1992 Consensus, cross-Strait relations will improve and develop, and cross-Strait peace and stability will be guaranteed, Ma said.