BEIJING, April 15. /TASS/. A recent visit of US congressmen to Taiwan undermines the political foundation of Chinese-US relations, the Friday statement by Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Wu Qian said.
"Such actions by the US grossly violate the ‘One China’ principle and the provisions of three Chinese-US joint communiques, cause serious damage to the political foundation of the Chinese-American relations," he noted.
"In relation to that, the Chinese side expresses resolute protest and made a serious remonstrance to the US over this," the statement said.
According to the spokesman, the US declares the observance of the "One China" principle yet at the same time "is sending erroneous signals to separatist forces that support Taiwan’s independence." He pointed out that such actions are hypocritical and lead to the escalation of the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, the American delegation led by Republican senator Lindsey Graham arrived on Thursday night on a short unannounced visit. The group of politicians, which includes several prominent US senators, made a layover in Taipei arriving aboard a military plane on the way back from Australia. According to the agency, on Friday, the US officials will meet with Taiwan's regional leader Tsai Ing-wen and the heads of a number of agencies.
The US severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 and established them with China. While recognizing the "One China" policy, Washington continues to maintain contacts with the island and supply it with weapons. This causes protest of mainland China which considers Taiwan part of its territory and resolutely warns against any separatist aspirations.