A Chinese government spokesperson has pressured Taiwan to accept Beijing's one-China principle, days before the inauguration of Taiwan's new president.
Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party won Taiwan's presidential election in January. He will be sworn in on Monday. Attention is focused on what he will say about China in his inaugural speech.
A spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council, Chen Binhua, said on Wednesday that "the new leader of the Taiwan region must seriously face the question and make a clear choice" between "whether to follow the will of the people and take the path of peaceful development, or to go against popular will and engage in provocation and confrontation."
Chen added, "We always adhere to the one-China principle" and "firmly oppose 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities and interference from external forces."
China claims the Democratic Progressive Party does not represent the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan, noting that Lai won just 40 percent of the votes and his party failed to maintain its majority in parliament.