Beijing on Wednesday condemned Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te for "engaging in deception under the guise of democracy" and using a so-called summit to incite confrontation across the Taiwan Strait.

Zhang Han, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks at a regular news conference in response to comments Lai delivered via video message at a "democracy summit" held in Copenhagen on Tuesday.

She reiterated that Taiwan is part of China, describing it as an undeniable historical and legal fact. She stressed that "Taiwan has never been a state and never will be."

"No matter how many times Lai repeats his lies, they remain lies and will never become truth," she said.

During the event, Lai claimed that "Taiwan is an independent state" and promoted the narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism".

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The spokeswoman accused Lai of using "democracy" as a pretext to mislead the international community while courting anti-China forces in certain countries. She said the so-called summit was being used to spread the false narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism", incite cross-Strait hostility and advance separatist activities aimed at splitting the country.

She described Lai's actions as "a complete political farce" that would only draw condemnation from all Chinese people.

She added that Lai's "clumsy performance" could not conceal the administration's authoritarian nature, including suppressing political opponents and restricting freedom of speech on the island.

"'Democracy' is merely a pretense, while seeking 'Taiwan independence' is the real objective," Zhang said.

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Zhang also reaffirmed that the mainland's determination to oppose "Taiwan independence" is "as firm as a rock" and that its ability to thwart separatist attempts is "unshakable".

She urged relevant foreign institutions to fully recognize the sensitivity of the Taiwan question and the serious consequences of supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist activities. Zhang also called on them to abide by the one-China principle and stop providing platforms or support for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' attempts to pursue "independence" internationally.

One-China principle reaffirmed

The one-China principle is a basic norm governing international relations and Taiwan's DPP authorities' separatist attempts run counter to the course of history, Zhang said in response to Paraguayan President Santiago Pena's recent visit to Taiwan on the same day.

She urged the country to make "the correct choice in line with the trend of history". She emphasized that the one-China principle is both a basic norm governing international relations and a widely recognized consensus of the international community.

The spokeswoman noted that 183 countries have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of adhering to the one-China principle.

She added that the DPP authorities' attempts to pursue "Taiwan independence" through provocative actions are contrary to the historical trend. "Their complete failure is only a matter of time," she said.

Paraguay is among the 12 countries that still maintain so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan. According to reports, President Pena visited Taiwan from May 7 to 10.