BEIJING, August 15. /TASS/. The US congressional delegation's trip to Taiwan is aimed at fueling the global crisis and destabilizing the security situation in the world in the interests of the United States, the deputy director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, Zhang Tengjun, has said.

"This visit serves another example of the US trying to get its way in global security affairs, and insists on creating crises as well as turbulence globally," the Global Times quotes him as saying. "This trip is a persistent attempt to create a crisis situation and provoke unrest on a global scale."

The expert pointed out that the delegation's visit was only made public at the last minute when they arrived in Tapei "in a sneaky and stealthy manner."

He believes that "the congressional delegation's visit won't bring bilateral ties down much," as it has already reached "a new low level, and the level of the delegation pales in comparison with Pelosi."

The expert says that "every countermeasure that China has taken since Pelosi visited the Taiwan region was clearly received by the US, both in its military and diplomatic approach."

"The suspension of mutual dialogue between the two countries also hit the US at its sore point," he said.

"China will surely retaliate against the visiting US lawmakers, such as imposing sanctions similar to those against Pelosi. The country will make them know that those who play with fire will perish by it and the US must pay the price for its own mistake," said Zhang.

US officials’ frequent visits to Taiwan

On Sunday evening, a delegation from the US Congress led by Senator Ed Markey (Democrat from Massachusetts) arrived in Taiwan. According to the island's Foreign Ministry, it included five politicians representing both the Democratic and Republican parties.

The Chinese government has repeatedly said that Pelosi's trip to Taipei on August 2 and 3 was a provocation that should be seen as "the wrong signal to the Taiwanese separatists." The next day after this visit, the Chinese authorities imposed sanctions on Pelosi and her family, and also froze the operation of several bilateral intergovernmental mechanisms for interaction with Washington.

Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces under Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after being defeated in the Chinese civil war. Taipei has since retained the flag and some other attributes of the former Republic of China, which had existed on the mainland before the Communists came to power. According to Beijing’s official position, supported by most countries, including Russia, it is one of China’s provinces.