China yesterday stayed mum on the dramatic victory by pro-Taiwan forces in Saturday's election, saying only that the nation's status as a part of China would never change.
"No matter what changes take place on Taiwan island, it cannot change Taiwan's status as a part of China," said China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue (
"The international community all acknowledge that Taiwan is a part of China and this cannot change," she said at the ministry's first regular briefing since the elections on Saturday.
The DPP won 87 seats in the 225-member legislature, ending 52 years of KMT domination in the lawmaking body.
The KMT, which won only 68 seats, is largely in favor of eventual unification with China.
Despite the results, Zhang reiterated Beijing's long-held belief "that most of the people in Taiwan are opposed to Taiwan's independence and separation from the Chinese motherland."
She refused to answer further questions on the election, referring them to the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, which will hold its first post-election briefing today.
China's government has mostly been silent on the results, while the state-controlled domestic press has blacked out news of the vote.
In the run-up to the election, China kept a low profile after previous saber-rattling proved counter-productive.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was elected president in March last year despite a blunt warning from Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji (朱鎔基) to Taiwan's voters not to make any impulsive decisions they would later regret.
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