'Taiwan Act' denounced

US urged to respect political foundation of China relations

Commenting on a Taiwan-related bill, the Chinese embassy in the United States on Friday expressed China's strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to it, saying the bill violates the one-China principle.

"The relevant clauses of the 'Taiwan Travel Act' severely violate the one-China principle, the political foundation of the China-US relationship, and the three joint communiques between China and the United States," a spokesperson for the embassy said.

Earlier on Friday, US President Donald Trump signed the bill that encourages visits between all levels of officials between the US and China's Taiwan.

The embassy spokesperson added that China is strongly dissatisfied with the legislation and firmly opposes it.

"We urge the US side to adhere to the one-China policy and honor the commitments it made in the three joint communiques, stop pursuing any official ties with Taiwan or improving its current relations with Taiwan in any substantive way," the spokesperson said.

Earlier on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that some clauses of the bill, though not legally binding, still severely violate the one-China principle and the three joint communiques between China and the US.

"China is strongly dissatisfied with that and also firmly opposes it," Lu said before Trump's signing of the bill.

"We have lodged stern representations with the US side."

He reiterated that the one-China principle is the political foundation of the China-US relationship.

Beijing urges Washington to adhere to the one-China policy and stop pursuing official ties with Taiwan, Lu said at a regular news conference in Beijing.

"It must handle Taiwan-related issues properly and cautiously so as to avoid causing any major disruption or damage to China-US relations."

On Jan 17, after US House of Representatives passed the bill, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the act severely violates the one-China principle

"We also urge Taiwan not to fawn on foreign countries in case it will draw fire upon itself."

Xinhua contributed to this story.

(China Daily 03/18/2018 page9)