BEIJING - A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Friday slammed a so-called joint statement between "the Taipei economic and cultural office in the Czech Republic" and the Czech economic and cultural office on forging a partnership against coronavirus.

This move by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authority is not about protecting the health and well-being of the people on the island but about using the pandemic as an excuse to seek "Taiwan independence," said Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

The attempt will never succeed, said Zhu.