China opposes visit of US Congressmen to Taiwan

China once again opposed any official contact between the US and Taiwan after the arrival of an American delegation on the island on Thursday.

This reaction comes after a delegation of six US congressmen arrived on the island today on an unannounced visit for talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

The sides are expected to exchange views on US-Taiwan cooperation, the threat of China, and regional security, Taiwanese news agency CNA reported.

"China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the US and the Taiwan region. Members of the US Congress should act in consistence with the US government's one-China policy," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a briefing.

Zhao noted that the US "should abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques" and stop any form of "official exchanges with Taiwan and avoid going further down this dangerous path."

He also reaffirmed Beijing's commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Taiwan's foreign ministry said this visit showed bipartisan support for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress.

This comes a few days after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cancelled a planned visit to Taiwan, after contracting COVID-19.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China for over seven decades.

Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan, which is a territory with its own democratically-elected government, maintains that it is an autonomous country.

( With inputs from ANI )