BEIJING -- Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te holds a stubborn separatist stance advocating "Taiwan independence" and is a complete "troublemaker", a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Saturday.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks in response to a media query about Lai's sneaky visit to Eswatini.

A number of countries refused to grant flight clearance for Lai's charter flight. Undeterred, he secretly slipped onto an Eswatini aircraft for the trip, even as Taiwan was reeling from an earthquake.

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Adhering to the one-China principle represents the shared aspiration of the international community and an irresistible historical trend, Chen said.

The so-called "diplomatic achievements" painstakingly fabricated by Lai are nothing but petty tricks that make him a laughingstock to the world, Chen added.

The spokesperson stressed that the historical trend of China's national reunification is unstoppable.