DPP unjustified in impeding cross-Strait exchanges: spokesperson

BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday lashed out at Taiwan's mainland-affairs authority for prohibiting civil groups on the island from co-hosting the upcoming 15th Straits Forum and limiting Taiwan people's engagement in cross-Strait exchanges.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, denounced Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority's unjustified moves and doubted its unwarranted excuses for hindering the forum, a cross-Strait activity for people-to-people exchanges that has been held for consecutive years.

Zhu said the DPP authority even threatened to label their participation in the forum as "law-breaking," which has grossly infringed upon the basic rights and freedom of Taiwan people.

"The DPP authority was totally saying something nice while doing the opposite," said the spokesperson.

Peace, development, communication and cooperation are the common aspirations of compatriots across the Strait and are in line with their shared interests, Zhu noted.

Civil organizations and residents from all walks of life in Taiwan have actively responded to the Straits Forum, speaking volumes for the fact that the DPP authority cannot impede or suppress it, Zhu said.

This year's forum is scheduled to open in the coastal city of Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province on Saturday, and has invited more than 5,000 guests from Taiwan.