The Chinese mainland is keeping close watch over the situation in Taiwan and making preparations to cope with any possible consequences from the change of the situation, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Tuesday.

"We will never give up our efforts for peaceful reunification, we will never sway in opposing 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities, and never allow anyone to secede Taiwan from the motherland," the premier said.

Wen made the remarks at a press conference held in the Great Hall of People in downtown Beijing after the Fourth Annual Session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) ended.

It is an overt defiance to the one-China principle for the Taiwan authorities to decide the cease of function of the " National Unification Council" and the cease of the application of the council's guidelines on unifying with the mainland, said Wen while answering a question raised by a reporter from Taiwan.

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, the leader of Taiwan authorities will "find little support" for his unjust cause, and his move was a hazardous, dangerous and deceitful step, Wen said.

The leader of Taiwan authorities "has forgotten his root" and attempted to cut the links of Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, the premier said.

"He ran counter to the trends of peace, stability and mutual benefit between Taiwan and the mainland, and also went against the wishes of the whole of the Chinese people including Taiwan compatriots," Wen said.

The Taiwan leader undermined the interests of Taiwan compatriots and "did no good" to Taiwan's economic development by obstructing the "three direct links" and restricting the trade between Taiwan and the mainland, Wen said.

Despite the provocative activities of the leadership of Taiwan authorities, the Chinese mainland is willing and ready to hold consultations and negotiations with any individuals or political parties in Taiwan, including the Democratic Progressive Party, on an equal footing on the basis of the one-China principle, Wen pledged.

"The negotiations will be held on an equal footing, and there is no question as one side will swallow up the other one," Wen said while answering a Taiwan reporter's question at the press conference.

"No matter what party affiliations they may have, no matter who they are, what they said or did in the past, so long as they are committed to the one-China principle, we are ready to have dialogues and negotiations with them, even including those people from the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan," Wen said.

The mainland is willing and ready to make positive responses to their move and have contact and negotiations with them, as long as the parties give up the stand of "Taiwan independence", he said.

The mainland's commitment to the one-China principle has been consistent and explicit, said Wen, reiterating that there is only one China in the world and both sides across the Taiwan Straits belong to one and the same China.

"China's state sovereignty and territorial integrity allows no division," Wen stressed.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2006)