China on Sunday condemned a brief US visit by Taiwan Vice President William Lai, saying he was a “separatist” and “troublemaker through and through” and that Beijing would take strong steps to protect its sovereignty.
Lai arrived in New York late on Saturday for what is officially a transit on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its president.
China has repeatedly denounced Lai’s trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei.
In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York, China’s foreign ministry said it opposed any form of a visit by “Taiwan independence separatists” to the US.
“Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through,” the Ministry said in the statement.
Taiwan is the “core of China’s core interests” and facts have shown again and again that the reason for the rise in tensions in the Taiwan Strait is Taiwan trying to “rely on the United States to seek independence”, it added.
“China is closely following developments and will take resolute and vigorous measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it further said.
China considers the self-ruled territory of Taiwan as its own and has vowed to bring it under its control in the future, using force if necessary. For the past three years, China has stepped up military pressure against Taiwan and has regularly held military missions around the island.
