BEIJING -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday urged people across the Taiwan Straits to safeguard the Diaoyu Islands and the South China Sea as the Chinese nation's ancestral possessions.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when answering a question concerning former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou's words at a regular press conference.

Ma Ying-jeou said that the Diaoyu Islands and islands in the South China Sea are China's inherent territory, and Japan's territorial claims are acts of theft.

Ma Ying-jeou also noted that peace is the highest value for cross-Straits relations and will bring prosperity.

Ma Xiaoguang said that the mainland hopes to maintain peaceful development of relations across the Straits.

Since 2008, the two sides have followed a path of peaceful development based on the 1992 Consensus. The new Taiwan administration must make a clear response to the common political foundation for the two sides to continue the path, Ma Xiaoguang added.