A senior expert on Taiwanese affairs said in Beijing on August 13 that there was no future for an independent Taiwan and Chen Shui-bian's latest separatist remarks ran counter to the fundamental interests of all Chinese.

　　Chinese both at home and abroad, and the international community, could not accept the attempt by pro-independence forces to split Taiwan from China. "Taiwan independence" would always be a dead end.

　　Tang Shubei, director of the Beijing-based Research Center on Cross-Straits Relations, made these remarks at a local seminar which was attended by some 20 academics and experts.

　　In his speech, Tang said that Taiwan leader Chen's statement threatened peace in the Asia-Pacific region and stability in the international community. He stressed that China's mainland would adhere to its policy of national unification and would never sit idly by and tolerate any challenge by pro-independence forces in the island province.

　　He reiterated President Jiang Zemin's Eight-Point Proposal on national unification and said every means would be tried to achieve peaceful unification, but China's mainland would never promise not to use force.

　　However, the mainland would continue carrying out its policies and laws to protect the interests of Taiwanese businessmen on the mainland. It would promote the "Three Links" of trade, transportation and mail services, and work together with all parties, groups, individuals and Taiwanese people who oppose the independence of Taiwan.