BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Friday warned that "Taiwan independence" forces must stop their secessionist activities before it is too late, and that anyone caught in such acts will face severe punishments.

Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said the secessionist forces and their activities for "Taiwan independence" pose the biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and represent the biggest obstacle to the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.

The Democratic Progressive Party authority in Taiwan has recently stepped up colluding with external forces to undermine peace and stability across the Strait through continuous provocations of confrontation between the mainland and Taiwan, making cross-Strait relations even more complex and grave, Zhu said.

A tiny fraction of "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces have clamored for and stepped up activities seeking "Taiwan independence" in an attempt to push cross-Strait relations to the brink of danger and push Taiwan compatriots toward the abyss of disasters, she said.

Their acts run counter to the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and the vital interests of Taiwan compatriots, and are doomed to fail, she added.  ■