A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Thursday criticized Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for acting as accomplices to external forces that are harming the interests of the Chinese nation.

The remarks were made by Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a regular press conference in response to comments by Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te regarding recent law enforcement patrols conducted by the mainland coast guard in waters east of Taiwan Island.

Zhu said there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China. China, she said, enjoys sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in waters east of Taiwan Island.

She said that Japan and the Philippines had initiated "maritime delimitation talks" concerning waters east of China's Taiwan Island without China's involvement, a move that seriously violates international law and basic norms of international relations, infringes upon China's maritime rights and interests, and is entirely illegal and invalid.

Zhu said the mainland coast guard's law enforcement patrols in the relevant waters constitute a lawful exercise of jurisdiction and are legitimate measures to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. She added that the patrols are also a necessary response to the "maritime delimitation talks" launched by Japan and the Philippines without China's involvement.

Zhu accused the DPP authorities of turning a blind eye to infringement by Japan and the Philippines and to the harm caused to the interests of people in Taiwan, while taking the opportunity to spread separatist fallacies advocating "Taiwan independence" and incite confrontation with the mainland.

"The DPP authorities have become accomplices to external forces seeking to undermine the overall interests of the Chinese nation," Zhu said, adding that such conduct would be rejected by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.