China slams US delegation Taiwan visit as 'unacceptable interference'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Feb 2024 10:44

The US-China tensions escalate as a delegation from the House of Representatives committee, led by Chairman Mike Gallagher, visits Taiwan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning gestures during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on July 26, 2023. (AP)

China criticized a visit by a US delegation to Taiwan as "interference", following the arrival of the House of Representatives committee chairman on China and four other lawmakers in the self-ruled island.

"China always resolutely opposes any form of official exchange between the United States and Taiwan authorities, and resolutely opposes the United States' interference in Taiwan affairs in any way or under any pretext," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular press conference.

"We urge the United States to recognize the extreme complexity and sensitivity of the Taiwan issue," Mao said, calling on the US to respect the one-China principle and cease official exchanges with Taiwan.

Taiwan support in US Congress remains robust, says lawmaker

The head of the China-focused committee in the US House of Representatives, Mike Gallagher, expressed that the support for Taiwan is "extremely strong" in the US Congress. This statement followed a meeting between a five-member delegation led by Gallagher and Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Ching-te, the newly elected President set to take office in May.

"I think support for Taiwan in the United States Congress... I see growing and extremely strong support for Taiwan," Gallagher told journalists.

It is worth noting that Taiwan considers the United States its primary ally, and the island has been a focal point of tensions with China. Meanwhile, Beijing asserts territorial claims over Taiwan and has constantly affirmed its opposition to Washington's increasingly hostile policies against Beijing and its encroaching on its geopolitical sphere, particularly regarding Taiwan.

It is worth noting that the US continues to send a small number of military trainers to Taiwan and militarize the island through arms sales.

Mike Gallagher, a prominent critic of China, expressed his belief that US support for Taiwan would remain unchanged regardless of the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.

"I am very confident that support for Taiwan will continue regardless of who occupies the White House," he said.

He cautioned Beijing against making any attempts to invade Taiwan, emphasizing that such actions would be "extremely unwise".

"If Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party were to ever make the incredibly foolish decision to attempt an invasion of Taiwan... that effort would fail," he stated during the meeting with Lai.

Earlier, President Tsai expressed her appreciation for the visit of US lawmakers, noting that their presence serves as a tangible demonstration of "unwavering US support for Taiwan's democracy."

"We will continue to advance our international partnerships and engage with the world. In 2024, we hope to see even more Taiwan-US exchanges in a range of domains," she said.

The delegation will be in the region until Saturday as part of an extensive visit, according to a statement from the American Institute in Taiwan, which serves as Washington's de facto embassy in Taipei. Alongside Gallagher, the delegation includes US Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Seth Moulton (D-MA).