BEIJING- China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with a newly-passed USSenate bill that aims to promote closer ties between the US andself-governing Taiwan, which China sees as part of its territory.

The condemnation came on Thursday after the US Senate passed by unanimousconsent the Taiwan Travel Act, which intends to encourage visits betweenthe United States and Taiwan “at all levels.”

Approved in the House of Representatives in January, the bill ruled that itshould be US policy for high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the US“under respectful conditions,” meet with US officials, and conduct businessin the country.

“China is strongly dissatisfied with this and resolutely opposes it, andhas already lodged stern representations with the US side,” Chinese ForeignMinistry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing in thecapital Beijing.

Some of the new bill’s provisions are not legally binding and it “seriouslyviolates” the One China principle, she added.

Washington should halt official exchanges with Taiwan and “prudently andappropriately handle issues related to Taiwan to avoid seriouslyinterfering with and damaging China-US relations,” Hua said.

The legislation needs US President Donald Trump’s signature to become law.It would be unusual for a president to veto a measure that has passedunanimously.

China had earlier warned the US against passing the bill.

China and Taiwan split amid a civil war in 1949; however, Beijing’sleadership pursues their reunification. In 1979, the US adopted the “OneChina” policy of recognizing Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.

The “One China” policy refers to the policy or the diplomaticacknowledgement that there is only one state called China, despite theexistence of two governments — one in China and another on the island ofTaiwan.

Under the policy, the United States recognizes and has formal ties with thegovernment in Beijing rather than with Taiwan.