The commentary, titled "Those Who Kick Against the Pricks Are Doomed To Fail," accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DDP), which adheres to its separatist party constitution and other splittists for their open advocacy, of "Making the New Constitution," establishing the so-called "Republic of Taiwan," and applying for joining the United Nations under the so-called " Republic of Taiwan."

The commentary reiterated that there is only one China in the world, while the mainland and Taiwan both belong to the same one China. China's sovereignty and territorial integrity are inseparable, it stressed.

The One-China Principle is an unshakable fact, the commentary said.

Kuomintang Regime's retreat to Taiwan in 1949 has by no means changed the historic fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, while the changes of leaders in the island province has never meant any change to Taiwan's status of being part of China, it noted.

The commentary pointed out that the overwhelming majority of nations in the world are recognizing that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China, and have promised that they will handle relations with Taiwan within the framework of one China.

Beginning from the Lee Teng-hui, all the attempts of the Taiwan authorities to join the United Nations and carrying out "pragmatic diplomacy" have ended up a failure, it said. The attempt to join the United Nations under the name of "Republic of Taiwan" is nothing but a wishful thinking, it said.

The commentary also blamed Taiwan's new leader who, since taking office, has refused to recognize the One-China Principle, for resulting in the destruction of the base for developing the cross-straits relations and the failure to eliminate the roots of the cross-straits tensions.

Over the past year, Taiwan has been in a chaos, featured with the plummeting stock market, economic recession and restless situation for local residents, it said, adding that the policies of the Taiwan Authorities have been seriously attacked by its people.

In the meantime, various kinds of cross-straits exchanges have been increasing. While the people of Taiwan have constantly pressured the Taiwan Authorities to recognize the One-China Principle and the consensus reached by the two sides in 1992, and the call for improving and developing the cross-straits relations has been surging, the commentary said.

"Taiwan Independence" is a cancer for and obstacle to the development of cross-straits relations. Pro-independence elements in Taiwan are poisoning the atmosphere of the cross-straits ties and will be severely detrimental to the fundamental interests of the people of Taiwan, Xinhua commented.

Chinese people will never allow the conspiracy of "Taiwan Independence", since the reactionary activities of the pro- independence elements are against the interests of the entire Chinese people, including the people of Taiwan, according to the commentary.

The separatists are merely a handful and they have no rights and are not able at all to represent the people of Taiwan who have cherished a glorious tradition of patriotism, the commentary said.

It called for compatriots in Taiwan to distinguish the right from wrong and recognize the separatists' evil intention of leading Taiwan toward catastrophe.

Pro-independence elements in Taiwan are doomed to meet a dead end unless they do change their minds, give up their attempts for independence, and stop their separatist activities, the commentary concluded.

(Xinhua 03/20/2001)