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China said on Sunday it “strongly deplored” a statement by the United States on the Taiwan election, after Washington congratulated independence-leaning Lai Ching-te on his victory in the self-ruled island’s presidential poll.
Lai triumphed over his nearest rival Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang on Saturday by more than 900,000 votes, rounding off an election campaign marked by diplomatic pressure from Beijing and near-daily incursions by Chinese fighter jets.
China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out using force to seize the island one day.
The US State Department on Saturday congratulated Lai on his victory and hailed the people of Taiwan “for once again demonstrating the strength of their robust democratic system and electoral process”.
On Sunday, a spokesperson for Beijing’s foreign ministry said the US statement “sends a gravely wrong signal to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces”.
“We strongly deplore and firmly oppose this, and have made serious representations to the US side,” the spokesperson said.
They added that Washington’s statement “seriously violates the one-China principle” as well as its pledge to only maintain unofficial ties with Taiwan.
“We urge the US to stop its official interaction with Taiwan and stop sending any wrong signal to the separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence,’” the spokesperson said.
They did not mention the unofficial post-election visit of a US delegation to Taiwan announced Sunday by Washington’s de-facto embassy on the island.
Former US officials to visit Taiwan for post-election talks
Two former senior US officials will arrive in Taiwan today for post-election talks and underscore the US government’s “longstanding interest” in peace across the Taiwan Strait, the de facto US embassy in Taipei said.
In a show of support for the government, a senior administration official said last week that President Joe Biden planned to send an unofficial delegation to the Chinese-claimed island.
The Biden administration has feared that the election, transition and new administration would escalate the conflict with Beijing.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which handles relations in the absence of official diplomatic ties, said former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg would visit.
“As we have done previously following a Taiwan presidential election, the US government has asked former senior officials to travel in their private capacity to Taiwan,” AIT said, adding its US-based Chair Laura Rosenberger would be accompanying.
“On Jan 15, they will meet with a range of leading political figures and convey congratulations from the American people to Taiwan on its successful elections, support for Taiwan’s continued prosperity and growth, and our longstanding interest in cross-Strait peace and stability.”
Two sources familiar with the trip, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, told Reuters that such a post-election visit by former senior US officials was routine and not out of the ordinary.
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