BEIJING, August 26. /TASS/. China has expressed a strong protest to the United States over a visit by Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee to Taiwan.

"The US lawmaker’s visit to China’s Taiwan region seriously violates the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques,·and· goes against·the US’s·commitment of maintaining only non-official ties with·the·Taiwan·region.·The Chinese side· deplores and firmly rejects this," the ministry said on Friday.

"There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. The government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China," it stressed.

Amid the current chill in relations with Beijing, Washington has invigorated contacts with Taipei. Several US delegations, including from US Congress, have visited Taiwan. China slams such visits as provocations and interference into its domestic affairs.