New Taiwan legislation in US Congress violates commitment to China, says Beijing

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Beijing on Thursday slammed the “restructuring” of the US’ Taiwan policy after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed a bill concerning the island nation, saying it “seriously violates” Washington’s “commitment to China.”

“The bill on Taiwan approved by the US Senate panel seriously violates the US commitment to China on the Taiwan question … violates the one-China principle, and sends a wrong signal to the secessionists. China is firmly opposed to this,” said Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

The move, she added, interferes in China’s internal affairs and is a violation of international law.

Urging Washington to stick to relevant agreements with Beijing in line with its one-China policy, Mao said Beijing issued a “serious” response to the US side.

Beijing’s statement came after the Senate committee pushed the legislation, by a vote of 17-5, that would enhance US military support to Taiwan.

Separately, praising the bill moving forward, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said: "The move amid rising military threats from China attests to the strength of our ties and the bipartisan congressional resolve to ensure regional security."

Under the bill – which is several steps away from final passage – Washington’s security assistance to self-ruled Taiwan would go up to $4.5 billion over the next four years.

Since the Trump administration, defense deals between Washington and Taipei have grown, angering Beijing, which has repeatedly asked the US to avoid any type of communication with authorities on the island, home to over 24 million people.

The lawmakers also laid out sanctions if China uses force to unify the island with the mainland.

Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, who proposed the bill and heads the committee, said the Taiwan policy “strengthens our relationship to maintain stable cross-Strait deterrence in the face of the threat of Chinese aggression.”

“We need to be clear-eyed about what we are facing,” said Menendez after the bill moved forward, calling it “a comprehensive piece of legislation to lay a new and bipartisan path forward for US-Taiwan policy that maintains cross-Strait stability.”

China views Taiwan, home to over 24 million people, as its “breakaway province” and has vowed to reunify it with the mainland, including by force if necessary.

The US formally recognized China in 1979 and shifted its diplomatic mission from Taipei to Beijing, including Taiwan as part of mainland China.

The Taiwan Relations Act, enacted in 1979, has governed US relations with Taiwan. Bilateral agreements known as the Three Communiques have also influenced ties.