China ‘strongly dissatisfied’ with US bill on Taiwan

China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with a newly-passed US Senate bill that aims to promote closer ties between the US and self-governing Taiwan, which China sees as part of its territory.

The condemnation came on Thursday after the US Senate passed by unanimous consent the Taiwan Travel Act, which intends to encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan “at all levels.”

Approved in the House of Representatives in January, the bill ruled that it should be US policy for high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the US “under respectful conditions,” meet with US officials, and conduct business in the country.

“China is strongly dissatisfied with this and resolutely opposes it, and has already lodged stern representations with the US side,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing in the capital Beijing.

Some of the new bill’s provisions are not legally binding and it “seriously violates” the One China principle, she added.

Washington should halt official exchanges with Taiwan and “prudently and appropriately handle issues related to Taiwan to avoid seriously interfering with and damaging China-US relations,” Hua said.

The legislation needs US President Donald Trump’s signature to become law. It would be unusual for a president to veto a measure that has passed unanimously.

China had earlier warned the US against passing the bill.

SS