Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged Washington to "be mindful of the extreme complexity and sensitivity" of the Taiwan issue.
"China opposes any official interaction between the US and Taiwan authorities and rejects any US interference in Taiwan affairs in any way or under any pretext," the spokesperson said.
US-China relations
Beijing and Washington are seeking to stabilize their shaky relations following the November meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Against this backdrop, the visit provoked a stronger than expected reaction in China. However, the congressional delegation's contacts are unlikely to trigger major actions such as China's military drills in the summer of 2022 following a visit to Taiwan by then-Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.
Sale of military equipment to Taiwan
The congressional delegation's visit came on the same day that the US State Department approved a deal to sell military equipment to Taiwan. The sale, which has led China to impose sanctions on US companies, includes communications and global positioning systems and related technology. The relatively small sale does not include weapons.Taiwan, however, is part of a $95 billion aid package that passed the Senate this month but remains pending in the House of Representatives.
The package, which focuses on Ukraine and Israel, includes $1.9 billion to replace US weapons supplied to Taiwan.Under a 1979 law, Washington is obliged to provide Taiwan with sufficient military hardware and technology to deter invasion.
Beijing, which considers the island part of Chinese territory and has vowed to seize it by force if necessary, opposes arms sales to Taiwan.
