BEIJING – A U.S. bill that encourages reciprocal visits by U.S. andTaiwanese government officials threatens stability in the Taiwan Strait andthe United States must withdraw it, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The bill passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations this weekand will now move to the Senate.

Beijing considers democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province and integralpart of “one China”, ineligible for state-to-state relations, and has neverrenounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.

The United States has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law tohelp it defend itself and is the island’s main source of arms. Chinaregularly says Taiwan is the most sensitive issue in its ties withWashington.

Speaking at a daily news briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministryspokesman Geng Shuang said though the clauses in the bill are not legallybinding they are a serious violation of the “one China” principle.

“If it is passed and put into effect, it will cause serious disturbances toSino-U.S. relations and the situation in the Taiwan Strait,” Geng said.

“China is extremely dissatisfied and resolutely opposed to this and hasalready lodged stern representations with the U.S. side,” he added.

“The ‘One China’ principle is the political basis of Sino-U.S. relations.”

The United States should stick to its promises made to China about Taiwan,cease discussion of this bill and protect relations between the twocountries and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Geng said.

Taiwan has welcomed the bill, which would allow senior U.S. governmentofficials to travel to Taiwan to meet with their Taiwanese counterparts.

The passage of the bill by the committee shows the strong bipartisansupport to deepen two-way exchanges and interactions of officials from bothsides, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “The Foreign Ministry expresses its welcome and its thanks,” it said.

China has become increasingly hostile to Taiwan since the election aspresident of Tsai Ing-wen from the pro-independence Democratic ProgressiveParty in 2016.

China suspects Tsai wants to push for formal independence, a red line forCommunist Party leaders in Beijing, though she has said she wants tomaintain the status quo and is committed to ensuring peace. – Agencies