Beijing says Taiwan authority's attempt to use epidemic to seek independence "will never succeed"

The Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, July 21, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhu Xiang)

BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The attempt by Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority to use the novel coronavirus outbreak as an excuse to seek "Taiwan independence" will never succeed, the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said Thursday.

While all of the Chinese people are engaged in the fight against the virus outbreak, the DPP authority and separatist elements advocating "Taiwan independence" have been taking advantage of the epidemic to call on the World Health Organization (WHO) to allow the island to participate in relevant WHO activities in an attempt to fish in troubled waters and expand the island's so-called "international space," the office said in a statement.