China firmly opposes any contact between US officials and Taiwan

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‍China has reiterated its opposition to any contact between US officials and the Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the announcement after Tsai met with Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott during her stopover in the US on Sunday.

"I would like to reiterate that we firmly oppose the Taiwan leader engaging in any form of contact with anyone from the US government during the so-called stopover and conducting any activities that disturb and undermine the China-US relationship,” said Lu Kang, spokesperson for the ministry.

Lu also noted that China urges again the US side and the relevant people to stay committed to the one-China policy and the principles of the Three China-US Joint Communiques and cautiously handle the Taiwan-related issues, so as not to harm the overall interests of China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang speaks at a daily briefing in Beijing, China on Jan.9 2017. /MOFA Photo

Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin had sent a letter to members of Congress from the Houston area, requesting that they not meet with Tsai. However, Cruz said China cannot decide whom they want to meet.

On Saturday, Jessica Ditto, a spokeswoman for US President-elect Donald Trump, said in an email to The Associated Press that neither Trump nor anyone on his transition team would meet with Tsai.

During Sunday’s talk, Cruz and Tsai discussed arms sales, "diplomat exchanges" and economic relations and Cruz hoped to increase trade between Texas and Taiwan, the senator said in a statement.

The dramatic part of this meeting took place when the two concluded their talk by gift exchanging. Tsai received a clock from her host, which is ominous both in Chinese mainland and Taiwan, as “sending a clock” in Chinese means bidding farewell to dead people.

File photo of Tsai Ing-wen /CFP photo

Tsai also met Governor Abbott on Sunday and the two discussed energy, trade relations and commercial ties between Taiwan and Texas, according to the website of the governor’s office.

Beijing has repeatedly warned the US to abide to the one-China policy after Tsai’s unprecedented conversation with Trump last month, the first such contact between a Taiwan leader and any US president or president-elect since China and the US formally established diplomatic ties in 1979, and recognized the one-China policy.

After Tsai’s Central America tour to Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, she will pass through San Francisco on her way back to Taiwan.

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