Cape Town - A delegation of five US lawmakers led by Senator Ed Markey arrived unannounced in Taipei on on Sunday, sparking further Chinese military drills near Taiwan.
The visit comes days after an unwelcome visit by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi to the Island to which Chinese officials responded through military drills.
Reuters News agency reported that the Chinese military unit that patrols the area adjacent to Taiwan, said it had organised multi-service joint combat readiness patrols. and combat drills in the sea and airspace on Monday.
“A stern deterrent to the United States and Taiwan continuing to play political tricks and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” said Chinese officials.
And, in a separate statement, China's Defence Ministry said the lawmakers' trip infringed on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity which further exposed “the true face of the United States as a spoiler of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”.
"The Chinese People's Liberation Army continues to train and prepare for war, and will resolutely crush any form of 'Taiwan independence' separatism and foreign interference,” it warned.
According to the Washington Post, the delegation is said to meet with members of the private sector, with spokesperson Sen. Ed Markey saying they would discuss “shared interests including reducing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and expanding economic cooperation, including investments in semiconductors”.
IOL