The Chinese mainland expressed strong opposition to Taiwan's development of nuclear weapons in any form, a mainland spokesman said on Wednesday.

Yang Yi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the comment at a press conference in response to a journalist question on Chen Shui-bian's related remark that Taiwan will not develop nuclear weapons but needs to improve its defense capability.

"We have noticed the related reports," Yang said. "We are uncompromisingly against Taiwan's development of nuclear weapons or nuclear weapon capability in any form," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2007)