BEIJING – China lashed out at the US Congress on Friday over passage of abill that would significantly boost Washington’s contacts with Taiwaneseofficials, accusing the US of violating a pledge not to have formalcontacts with the island’s government.
A spokesman for the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office, An Fengshan, said theTaiwan Travel Act violates the “one-China principle” under which Chinaregards Taiwan as a part of Chinese territory, along with three communiquessigned by Washington and Beijing, reports AP.
“We are firmly against the act,” An was quoted as saying by the officialXinhua News Agency. “We sternly warn Taiwan not to rely on foreigners tobuild you up, or it will only draw fire against yourself.”
The US cut formal ties with Taiwan when it recognized China in 1979 but thetwo maintain robust unofficial relations, and the US is legally bound torespond to threats against the self-governing island democracy. China hasthreatened to use force to bring Taiwan under its control.
The Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed the act, which would allowunrestricted travel by US officials to meet with members of Taiwan’sgovernment. Taiwanese officials would be able to visit the US under“respectful conditions” and meet their counterparts, including from theDepartments of State and Defense.
The act passed the House of Representatives unanimously in January andawaits the signature of President Donald Trump, who at one point questionedwhy the US should continue with its “one-China policy” of only recognizingBeijing.
The passage came amid a spike in trade tensions, with Trump declaring theUS will impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, targeting Chinaand other trading partners. Chinese President Xi Jinping has dispatchedeconomic adviser Liu He to Washington for talks aimed at heading off afull-on confrontation.
Washington’s ties with Taiwan are a constant source of friction in itsrelations with Beijing, and a visit by then-Taiwanese President LeeTeng-hui to the US in 1996 prompted China to launch missiles into watersnear the island in an attempt to intimidate its leaders.
After a period of improvement, Beijing’s ties with Taipei have been frostysince the 2016 inauguration of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who hasrefused to endorse the one-China principle. China has cut allcommunications with her government and has moved to further restrict theisland’s participation in international events.
China’s state media joined in the criticism on Friday, with the officialChina Daily newspaper saying passage of the act would encourage Tsai inpursuing formal independence, something Beijing says it will respond towith a military attack.
“Since the US is bound by domestic law to act on behalf of the island inthat instance, it would only give substance to the observation that thedescent into hell is easy,” the newspaper said.
Noting the unanimous passage of the bill through Congress, the CommunistParty newspaper Global Times said that reflected “growing nationalistsentiment in the US in the face of China’s rise.”
“Bellicosity has peaked in Congress and legislators approved the bill tovent their anxieties about China,” it said. – Agencies