China has warned that it will defend Taiwan’s sovereignty if the US delegation visits it

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

In the world, “there is only one China and Taiwan is part of it,” Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese government’s special envoy for East China Sea affairs, responded to the second provocative visit by the US congressional delegation. A week for more than a year and warned Washington not to interfere in Beijing’s internal affairs.

“The main reason for the current tensions in the Taiwan Strait is that the leaders of the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party seek the support of the United States to pursue an imaginary independence and try to use some US forces to control the island issue. China,” Xiaoming wrote on his Twitter account on Sunday (14).

On August 14, five bipartisan representatives of the US Congress, led by Senator Ed Markey, arrived in Taiwan to address relations between Taipei and Washington, including regional security, trade and investment, climate change and other “trade issues” of mutual interest. ”.

The diplomat said in a series of tweets that it was an “extremely dangerous” move, comparable to “playing with fire”. “Those who play with fire will perish for it. We urge the relevant countries to seriously respect the one-China policy, properly handle Taiwan-related issues, and stop interfering in our internal affairs,” he added. The United States, Joe Biden, in a telephone conversation last July 29.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin warned that the U.S. delegation had committed a “serious violation of the one-China policy” and the provisions of three joint statements signed by the U.S. with Beijing through his unannounced visit. Washington thus violated China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and sent the wrong signal to separatist forces defending Taiwan’s independence.

Wang also urged Beijing-Washington relations to properly resolve Taiwan-related issues and stop taking the wrong path of misrepresenting the “One China” policy to avoid further damaging Taiwan-strait peace and stability.

“Energy Actions”

According to Liu Xiaoming, the Taiwanese authorities’ intentions to seek the island’s independence with foreign support “will lead nowhere, and the policy of using the Taiwan issue to control China will fail.” He said any “individual or power” that tries to interfere in the internal affairs of the Asian giant will “hit a wall of steel” that prevents its reunification.

He also warned that “strong measures” would be taken if “separatist elements or external forces” provoked or crossed Beijing’s red lines.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met with members of the US Congress on Monday (15). The group’s trip comes 12 days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island, prompting sharp criticism from Beijing.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), “On August 15, the Eastern Theater organized a joint combat readiness patrol and an actual combat exercise in the sea and airspace around the island of Taiwan.”

The maneuvers “are a serious deterrent to the United States (US) and Taiwan from continuing political maneuvering and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” the document said.

In this case, a total of 22 J-16, J-10, SU-30 and J-11 fighter jets, one KJ-500, and six Chinese warships.

The China Daily newspaper stressed that such a visit to Taiwan would lead to a military blockade and tightening of economic sanctions, while US politicians would face sanctions and restrictions on trade with the Asian country, warning that the consequences would affect the entire world. Further conflict on the issue will cause inflation to rise further, food prices to rise and the energy crisis to worsen.

“Only Wall Street, arms dealers and America’s belligerent politicians will profit from this at the expense of the people,” the state-run newspaper said.