Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with members of a new US congressional delegation on Monday, which China responded with an announcement of additional military exercises close to the self-governing island, threatening to rekindle tensions between Beijing and Washington following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit days ago.
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, "China will take resolute and strong measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity" following the announcement of fresh drills in the seas and skies around Taiwan.
"A handful of U.S. politicians, in collusion with the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, are trying to challenge the one-China principle, which is out of their depth and doomed to failure," Wang stated during a media briefing on Monday.
Per previous comments from the Defense Ministry, the purpose of the new drills was to serve as a firm deterrent against collaboration and "provocation between the U.S. and Taiwan."
Since the ministry did not specify where or when the new drills would take place, unlike prior rounds, it was unclear if they had already commenced, as reported by AP News.
The second US congressional delegation to visit Taiwan this month, led by Massachusetts Democrat Sen. Ed Markey, landed in Taipei on Sunday for an unannounced two-day visit.
Reaffirming US Support For Taiwan
The newly formed delegation of five people is in Taiwan to "reaffirm the United States support for Taiwan" and to promote "stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait," per a statement from Markey's spokesperson.
The delegation also includes Republican Rep Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen and Democratic Reps. John Garamendi, Alan Lowenthal, and Don Beyer.
During their visit, the delegation of lawmakers will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. They will also discuss security and trade-related concerns with the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee of the Taiwanese parliament per a CNN report.
The foreign ministry also expressed its profound gratitude to the delegation for showing the US' unwavering support for Taiwan in the face of rising tensions with China.
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The visiting US legislators will meet with elected officials and representatives of Taiwan's corporate sector to discuss shared objectives such as lowering tensions in the Taiwan Strait and boosting economic cooperation, particularly investments in semiconductors, according to the senator's spokesperson.
Chinese State Media Blasts US Legislators' Taiwan Visit
After the American lawmakers arrived, an editorial with the heading "US politicians should avoid playing with fire on Taiwan subject" was published by the state news agency Xinhua.
It referred to the visiting American politicians as opportunists considering their own political interests as the midterm elections in November draw near, according to The Guardian.
The media company stated in the piece: "Those US politicians who are playing with fire on the Taiwan question should drop their wishful thinking. There is no room for compromise or concessions when it comes to China's core interests."
House Speaker Pelosi was the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, and her arrival sparked nearly two weeks of threatening military drills by China, which asserts jurisdiction over the island.
During her visit, Beijing launched missiles into the Taiwan Strait and over the island, and deployed airplanes and military ships through the waterway's middle, which has traditionally served as a barrier between the parties that split during the 1949 civil war.
China claims that the U.S. has supported Taiwan's independence by selling weaponry to Taipei and fostering relations between American officials and Taiwanese leaders.
Washington insists that the two sides should settle their conflict diplomatically and that it does not endorse independence. The US has no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, however, Washington is legally tasked with ensuring the island can protect itself in the event of an assault.
The Taiwanese government accused Beijing of using Pelosi's visit as a justification to prepare for an invasion.
The communist party of China has never controlled Taiwan, but it has stated that it will use force to seize the island if needed.
