The so-called "empathy" with Ukraine by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan is self-important and attention-seeking, a Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a press briefing in response to the recent hype comparing Taiwan to Ukraine by DPP authorities, saying they "empathize with the situation in Ukraine."

Ma Xiaoguang (File photo: chinadaily.com.cn)

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the Taiwan issue is purely a Chinese internal affair, Ma stressed.

"DPP authorities recently have cooperated with some US and Western public opinion leaders to maliciously hype the so-called 'military threat' of the Chinese mainland under the pretext of the Ukraine issue," said Ma. "This hides their evil intention to 'internationalize' the Taiwan issue and incite anti-China populism on the island."

It is complete political manipulation for one party’s self-interest, Ma said.

The current tension across the Taiwan Strait is rooted in repeated provocations for so-called "Taiwan independence" by DPP authorities and "Taiwan independence" forces in collusion with external forces, Ma added.

"All necessary actions we have taken to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity are directed against 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities and interference by external forces, and are aimed at fundamentally safeguarding the vital interests of compatriots on both sides of the strait and the overall interests of the Chinese nation."