BEIJING -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday said China's sovereignty and territory have never been divided, and the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one China has never changed.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te's recent comparison of reunification across the Taiwan Strait to a "corporate merger," in which he referred to the mainland as a "larger company" and Taiwan as a "smaller company."

Lai claimed that if the mainland wants to "merge with" Taiwan, it should be the one proposing terms, not Taiwan.

Achieving national reunification is a shared aspiration of Chinese compatriots and a righteous cause of the Chinese nation, Chen said, reiterating the mainland's commitment to upholding the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus.

"We are willing to have extensive exchanges of views and in-depth consultations with all political parties, groups and people from various sectors in Taiwan on cross-Strait relations and national reunification," he said.