WASHINGTON, August 25. /TASS/. A visit by US Senator Marsha Blackburn (Republican, Tennessee) to Taiwan yet again proves that the US does not aspire for stability in the region and meddles in China’s domestic affairs, Spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in Washington Liu Pengyu told a TASS correspondent on Thursday.
"China firmly opposes any kind of official ties between the US and the Taiwan region. <...> The relevant visit once again proves that the US does not want to see stability across the Taiwan Straits and has spared no effort to stir up confrontation between the two sides and interfere in China's internal affairs," he stated.
The diplomat also stressed that Beijing would take resolute countermeasures in response to provocations by the US. "To defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity, to uphold the basic norm in international relations of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, China will take resolute countermeasures in response to the US’s provocations," he added.
He said that the United States, as one country, should have one foreign policy and the Congress, as part of the US government, "has the responsibility to deliver on the US government's commitments to other countries." As the diplomat stressed, members of the US legislative branch "strictly observe the one-China policy and refrain from any official exchanges" with Taiwan, which is part of China. "Under neither international law nor US domestic legislation does ‘separation of powers’ give the US the excuse to defy international obligations and take actions that go against the basic norms governing international relations," Liu Pengyu continued.
According to him, responsibility for the current tensions in the Taiwan Strait lies entirely on the US side, "which should bear all the consequences caused by relevant lawmakers’ visit to Taiwan."
Blackburn arrived in Taiwan on Thursday evening. The island's foreign ministry said that the politician would be received by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during the visit, which was not announced in advance and would last until Saturday. Meetings are also scheduled with National Security Council Secretary General Gu Lixiong, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and other officials.
Situation around Taiwan
This is the third US lawmakers' visit to the island in a month. On August 2 to 3, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei and provoked a strong reaction from Beijing that retaliated by starting large-scale military drills around Taiwan. On August 14 to 15, a delegation led by Senator Ed Markey (Democrat, Massachusetts) visited Taiwan.
The United States severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 and established relations with China. Recognizing the ‘one-China’ policy, Washington at the same time continues to maintain contact with the Taipei administration and supplies the island with arms.
Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, when the remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled there after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. Since then it retains the flag and some other attributes of the former Republic of China, which existed on the mainland before the Communists came to power. According to China’s official position, supported by most countries, including Russia, the island is one of the Chinese provinces.