BEIJING: China on Wednesday sharply criticized a visit to Taiwan by a senior Pentagon official and reaffirmed it has sanctioned Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon for supplying military equipment to the self-governing island democracy.
The comments from the Cabinet鈥檚 Taiwan Affairs Office underscore the dramatic deterioration in relations between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan, technology, spying allegations, and, increasingly, Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.
Asked about the reported visit by Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said China 鈥渞esolutely opposes any official interaction and military collaboration鈥� between the US and Taiwan.
Efforts by Taiwan鈥檚 ruling Democratic Progressive Party to cement the island鈥檚 independence with foreign assistance are 鈥渄oomed to failure,鈥� Zhu told reporters.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and has been stepping up its military and diplomatic harassment. The sides split amid civil war in 1949, and China鈥檚 authoritarian Communist Party has never held sway over the island.
A Pentagon spokesperson did not comment directly on Chase鈥檚 visit, repeating that 鈥渙ur commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region.鈥� Taiwan鈥檚 Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said it had no information about any such visit.
Tensions between the US and China again ratcheted up last month after Washington accused Beijing of sending a spy balloon that was shot down over the American East Coast. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a trip to Beijing in the wake of the incident and said over the weekend that the United States was concerned China would provide weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
China, which has declared a 鈥渘o limits鈥� friendship with Russia, has pointedly refused to criticize Moscow鈥檚 actions, blaming the US and NATO for provoking the Kremlin, and has blasted the punishing sanctions imposed on Russia. Russia, in turn, has strongly backed China over Taiwan.
On a visit to Moscow Tuesday, the Communist Party鈥檚 top diplomat Wang Yi said relations between Moscow and Beijing are 鈥渟olid as a rock鈥� and will 鈥渟tand the test of the volatile international situation.鈥�
Russia and China have an 鈥渆xcellent opportunity to continue close strategic cooperation and contacts to protect our shared strategic interests,鈥� Wang said.
Also this week, a delegation of US lawmakers visiting Taiwan met on Tuesday with President Tsai Ing-wen, who said she looked for increased cooperation on issues from security to climate change.
On Monday, the delegation met with the head of the legislature as part of their five-day visit. They include Reps. Ro Khanna of California, Tony Gonzales of Texas, Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois.
The congressional team held talks with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company鈥檚 founder Morris Chang, considered the father of the island鈥檚 world-leading microchip industry that is now investing heavily in US production.
Khanna and Auchincloss are both members of the new House select committee focused on competition with China.
Amid the flurry of exchanges, Taiwan鈥檚 Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and head of the National Security Council Wellington Koo were in Washington on Tuesday for what are believed to be security meetings.
They were filmed by Taiwan鈥檚 private TVBS television station entering the offices of the body the US uses to oversee relations with Taiwan in lieu of formal diplomatic ties. Washington cut formal relations in 1979 in order to establish ties with Beijing, but remains the island鈥檚 chief political and military ally.
China has increasingly lashed back at the increase in exchanges with Taiwan by officials and elected representatives from the US and other democratic nations. China鈥檚 campaign of diplomatic isolation has left Taiwan with just 14 formal allies, although it retains robust unofficial relations with dozens of other countries.
Last Thursday, China imposed trade and investment sanctions against Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Technologies Corp.鈥檚 Raytheon Missiles and Defense, barring them from importing goods into China or making new investments in the country.
The Ministry of Commerce declared they had been added to the 鈥渦nreliable entity鈥� list of companies whose activities are restricted because they might endanger national sovereignty, security or development interests. It wasn鈥檛 clear what impact the penalties would have.