Taiwan: US lawmakers make visit as Beijing conducts 'combat readiness patrol' close to island

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The unspecified group landed in Taipei on a Boeing C-40A military plane shortly after 6 p.m. local time, according to flight details by Flightaware. The plane subsequently took off for Okinawa after a brief stay at the airport.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the visit and said the trip was arranged by the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US embassy in Taipei. It did not disclose the names of the lawmakers involved in the visit, nor their itinerary.

When approached for comment, the American Institute in Taiwan did not confirm the list of lawmakers but directed CNN to Sen. John Cornyn’s office for information, a Republican from Texas.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters Tuesday the trip “seriously violated the one-China principle” and demanded the US “immediately stop any form of official interaction with Taiwan.”

“We urge the US congressmen to recognize the situation. Collaborating with the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces is a dangerous game; playing with ‘Taiwan independence’ will eventually lead to fire,” Wang said.

Relations between Taipei and Beijing are at their lowest point in decades, marked by fiery rhetoric and military posturing. Last month, China’s military sent a record number of warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) — the area surrounding the island where Taipei says it will respond to any incursions.

In a statement, China’s Ministry of National Defense condemned the US for “grossly interfering in China’s internal affairs” and said it should stop “provocative actions” that may escalate tensions on the Taiwan Strait.

“(The US) should refrain from sending wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ forces,” the statement read. “The People’s Liberation Army will always be on high alert and adopt all necessary measures to resolutely smash any interference by foreign forces and separatist attempts.”

Beijing views the self-ruled island as an inseparable part of its territory — even though…

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Source : cnn