China's Foreign Ministry reiterated its opposition to military relations between the US and Taiwan, urging the US to stop its “wrongful acts” of military collusion with Taiwan, and warning Taiwan officials that seeking independence by force and Opposing “reunification” will fail.
China's Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwan's Navy Chief Tang Hua visited the United States last month to discuss boosting bilateral naval cooperation, Reuters reported. In response, China's Foreign Ministry said it firmly opposes “military collusion” between the United States and Taiwan.
This month, Taiwan's Chief of General Staff Admiral Mei Chia-shu attended the change-of-command ceremony for the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, which came to light when he was spotted in the audience in an official photo.
China has long maintained that Taiwan is China's most sensitive territorial issue, a major point of contention in Sino-US relations.
Beijing has not abandoned using force to bring Taiwan under its control, while Taipei says Chinese territorial claims are void because the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island.