Condemns Taiwan's Presidential Meeting With The Chairman Of The US House Of Representatives, China Will Take Firm Steps To Maintain Its Sovereignty And Territorial Integrity

JAKARTA - China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday condemned a meeting in California, the United States between Taiwanese leaders and the chairman of the US House of Representatives as a "collusion measure", insisting China would defend its sovereignty, according to Xinhua news agency.

"Childs firmly oppose and strongly condemn these actions," said a spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the state's official news agency.

"In response to the very wrong act of collusion between the United States and Taiwan, China will take firm and effective steps to safeguard national sovereignty and its territorial integrity," he continued.

Earlier, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday, the most senior US figure to have met Taiwanese leaders in the US region in recent decades, stressing the need to accelerate arms shipments to Taiwan in the face of growing threats from China.

A separate statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress on Thursday, reported by Xinhua, said McCarthy's actions had "seriously violated the commitments made by the United States to China on Taiwan issues."

It is known, China claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its territory, a position the government in Taipei strongly opposes. Meanwhile, Washington transferred diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 1979.

Last month, White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby said the United States respected "Satu-China Policy" and did not want to see a change in the status quo related to Taiwan, which China considers a separate province.

After meeting with members of the US Congress from both sides of the aisle, I was heartened by their strong bipartisan support for #Taiwan. Thank you to @SpeakerMcCarthy & all our American friends. When we stand together, we are all stronger. pic.twitter.com/HVw2WqxBXz

— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) April 6, 2023