BEIJING, Feb. 24 -- A Chinese mainland spokesman on Wednesday criticized a Taiwan legislator's proposal that would remove portraits of Sun Yat-sen from schools and government buildings in the island.

An Fengshan, of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, called the bill by the legislator from Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) an "open trick."

"Compatriots across the Taiwan Strait should be on high alert against such moves," said An at a regular press conference in Beijing.

Even in Taiwan such a proposal had been seen as a move for "desinification," aimed at severing ties between the mainland and Taiwan, and "sabotaging cross-Strait peace and stability as well as the status quo of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations," according to An.

"As the forerunner of China's democratic revolution in modern times, Mr. Sun Yat-sen devoted his whole life to pursuing unification and revival of the Chinese nation," An said. "He deserves respect from all Chinese."

Born in 1866, Sun is known for his leading role during the 1911 Revolution, which overthrew the imperial Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and put an end to more than 2,000 years of feudal rule.