Biden admn asks China not to 'overreact' to US lawmakers' peaceful visit to Taiwan

The United States on Tuesday urged that China must not "overreact" to the visit by the American lawmakers to the self-administered island nation Taiwan. The visit by the US delegation was in line with the long-standing and bipartisan policy toward Taiwan, the senior US officials said on Tuesday, Aug 16. China, they stated, must not overreact to the "peaceful visits" by members of Congress or attempt to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, unilaterally. 

'Provocative move by American officials': PRC

After the US delegation's visit, the Chinese military said it carried out more exercises near Taiwan's Penghu islands in response to the provocative move by the American officials. The US congressional members during their visit met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and parliamentary members from the Legislative Yuan. The delegation to the Taiwan tour was led by Senator Edward Markey who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations East Asia, Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Subcommittee.

"It's been clear for some time that there is one side, there's one party that seeks to change the status quo," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a briefing slamming China's reaction. "It is not the United States. It is not Taiwan. It is the PRC (People's Republic of China) that is challenging the status quo, that is seeking to erode the status quo."

US official Markey and four other congressional members exchanged bilateral views with Taiwanese counterparts on issues that included "support for peace and stability in Taiwan" as the island faces "growing authoritarian pressure from Beijing." PRC in its reaction stated that the US congressional delegation "infringes on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Beijing's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun, meanwhile, stated that the US delegation violated the territorial integrity of China. "They [members of the US Congress visiting Taiwan] should stop going further down the wrong direction," Zhang said. Taiwan and mainland China had split during a civil war in 1949 and PRC claims the island as its own territory and has not ruled out using military force to take it. The US abides by the One China Policy but maintains informal diplomatic ties with the island nation defence and trade ties with Taiwan.