• Party of five US congressmen arrived in Taiwan on Sunday,
• In reaction to Pelosi’s visit, the Chinese staged a series of military manoeuvres and exercises in the Taiwan Strait.
• “The visit, however, sparked a new wave of harsh rhetoric from Chinese officials, who claim that the self-governing island is part of Chinese territory.

Chinese officials chastised Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts for heading an unannounced delegation of lawmakers to Taiwan.

“Ignoring China’s repeated protests & firm opposition, US lawmaker Ed Markey insisted on visiting China’s Taiwan region, this plainly violates the One China Principle & the China-US joint communiqués, it is an intrusion of China’s sovereignty & territorial integrity,” Consul General of China to Karachi Li Bijian said on Twitter.

The remarks came as a party of five US congressmen arrived in Taiwan on Sunday, less than two weeks after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the highest-level US official to visit the country in more than 20 years.

In reaction to Pelosi’s visit, the Chinese staged a series of military manoeuvres and exercises in the Taiwan Strait.

The congressmen, who included Democratic Reps. John Garamendi of California, Alan Lowenthal of California, and Don Beyer of Virginia, as well as Republican Rep. Amata Radewagen of American Samoa, met with Taiwanese authorities on Sunday, who greeted them warmly.

“Vice Minister Yui extended the warmest of welcomes to Taiwan’s longstanding friend Sen. Markey & his cross-party delegation,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Twitter Sunday. “We thank the like-minded US lawmakers for the timely visit & unwavering support.”

The visit, however, sparked a new wave of harsh rhetoric from Chinese officials, who claim that the self-governing island is part of Chinese territory. The United States has agreed not to establish official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but it has historically offered assistance to the island in order to help it defend itself against China.

“China firmly opposes any kind of official ties between the US & Taiwan region,” Chinese Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Deng Xijun said on Twitter Monday. “China will take countermeasures in response to the US’ provocations to defend its sovereignty &territorial integrity.”

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