China rebukes US Senator's visit to Taiwan; warns not to woo external anti-China forces

Objecting strongly to US Senator Marsha Blackburn’s recent visit to the self-administered island nation Taiwan, China has derided the United States for its violation of the “one China” principle and the three US-Sino joint communique. In a statement, Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang protested against the visit by a high-profile member of US Congress since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's tour to Taiwan, which Beijing considers as its own inalienable breakaway territory. 

PRC slammed the US government for a serious blow to China's territorial integrity after Senator Blackburn called Taiwan a "free and independent nation" ahead of her visit. 

In a dire warning shot at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Taiwan, China's Ma said that any attempts to "woo external anti-China forces” with the support of the United States would fail. China's foreign ministry also denounced Blackburn's visit, reiterating that China "will continue to take strong measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity." US Congress member Blackburn landed on the self-ruled island on Thursday, Aug. 25. She met with President Tsai Ing-wen and pledged renewed support for her government. 

'Freedom-loving nations support Taiwan': US Congress member

The Republican from Tennessee emphasised that the two nations share core mutual values such as "loving freedom, loving democracy." Blackburn stressed that the "freedom-loving nations support Taiwan as they seek to preserve their independence and their freedom." She also slammed the People's Republic of China for harassment of Taiwan, saying that the Chinese Communist Party has only been rummaging for new excuses "to bully Taiwan". Blackburn's office clarified in a statement that her visit to Taiwan was a part of the tour that included Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea as part of a US push to "expand diplomatic footprint in the area." 

While Taiwan and China split in the year 1949 post-civil war, Beijing considers the breakaway island as its own territory that it intends to take with coercion and military means. The two territories share strong trade ties with billions of dollars of investment. Since the election of pro-democracy Tsai Ing-wen as island's president, China has been wary about Taiwan bolstering ties with the other countries, particularly the United States.