On Wednesday China warned of further trade sanctions on Taiwan in the event the ruling party "stubbornly" commits to supporting independence. 

Spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office Chen Binhua has addressed a message to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), saying "If the DPP authorities are determined to persevere, continue to stubbornly adhere to their Taiwan independence position, and refuse to repent, we support the relevant departments taking further measures in accordance with the regulations."

Presidential and parliamentary elections will take place on Jan.13, but Beijing has warned that the self-ruled island's reunification is inevitable. 

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday issued some his strongest words on the issue thus far, vowing to use "any means" to prevent anyone from "making Taiwan secede from China."

He issued the words in a speech marking the 130th anniversary of the PRC founder Mao Zedong's birth. He also stressed the necessity of maintaining the "one country, two systems" policy in Hong Kong and Macau while emphasizing the need for a central government to exercise "overall jurisdiction".

He said of Taiwan that "China's complete reunification is an inevitable trend" and that reunification is "what the people desire." He further urged that the Chinese Communist Party must set its sights of a grander policy of "resolving the Taiwan question in the new era."

China's official position has been that it always seeks first reunification through peaceful and political means, and again called for "advance integrated development in all fields" across the strait bases on peaceful development of cross-strait ties.