Beijing rebuked Taiwan on Wednesday for a so-called "national security report", saying the report damaged the cross-Strait peaceful development.

The 162-page report, issued earlier this month, exposed the regional leader's obstinate persistence of the "Taiwan independence" stance, said Li Weiyi, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council in Beijing on Wednesday at a regular press conference. 

Li Weiyi said that Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian was using the report to advance the cause of the island's independence and provoke the mainland.

The report said Taiwan was an unsinkable aircraft carrier that would boost its military spending to account for 3 percent of gross domestic product in 2008 from 2.54 percent currently.

"We think that the report systematically brings together the Taiwan independence stance of the Chen Shui-bian authority," Li told the news conference.

"It is focused on vilifying and attacking the motherland and deliberately drives a wedge between the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the strait."

The report also exposed the Taiwan regional leader's attempts to mislead the public, so as to alleviate Taiwan public's dissatisfaction on regional economy, people's livelihood and social affairs, said Li.

However, the report had been criticized and denounced by Taiwan public since its release, demonstrating the regional leader's ignorance of Taiwanese mainstream aspiration for peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, Li said.

He said with the common endeavor of the patriots on the both sides the Taiwan Strait, the cross-Strait relations appeared good tendency of peaceful and stable development.

Opposing "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their activities, and maintaining the peace and stability of the cross-Strait relations are the common wishes of the compatriots across the Straits.

"We will make utmost efforts with the maximum sincerity to maintain and promote the peaceful development of the cross-Straits relations," he said.

The mainland and Taiwan, which have no direct air, shipping or postal connections, will nevertheless expand a limited ferry service next month, a Chinese official said on Wednesday, adding it could pave the way for full links.

From June 8, the ferries will operate between the Taiwan controlled island of Kinmen, also known as Quemoy, and the nearby Chinese city of Quanzhou, said He Shizhong, director of the economic bureau of the Taiwan Affairs Office.