The failure of the so-called "referendum" on a name-changing motion for Taiwan to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics showed that putting Taiwan athletes' interests at stake is against people's will, a mainland spokesperson said Sunday.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said the attempts of "Taiwan independence" are doomed to fail.

(Cover image: Athletes oppose to so-called "Olympics referendum" in Taiwan on November 21, 2018. /VCG photo)