Recent military training activities conducted by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) over the Taiwan Strait are necessary to safeguard national sovereignty in consideration of the current security situation across the area, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman with the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press briefing on Wednesday.

Ma said that the actions of the PLA are aimed at thwarting any form of interference by external forces and separatist acts of "Taiwan independence," rather than at the broad masses of the Taiwan compatriots.

Stressing that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, Ma said the Chinese mainland has a firm will, full confidence and sufficient capabilities to defeat any interference by foreign forces and any secessionist attempt for "Taiwan independence" in any form.

He also said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority in Taiwan harms cross-Strait relations and jeopardize the interests of Taiwan compatriots.

Commenting on the U.S. Undersecretary of State Keith Krach's coming visit to Taiwan for economic talks, Ma warned the U.S. side of abiding by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and to stop all forms of official ties between the U.S. and Taiwan.

Noting that the purpose of opening up import of agricultural and livestock products is "for politics", Ma said that the DPP authority's action will only squeeze the development space for Taiwan, and ruin the island's development opportunities.