Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning responded to the visit of U.S. congressmen to the island, located in the south of the Chinese mainland. We urge the U.S. side to recognize the extreme complexity and sensitivity of the Taiwan issue,’ she said.

The spokeswoman called for serious respect for the one-China principle and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiqués which stipulate that issues related to the island should be handled with prudence and propriety. Mao urged Washington to stop official exchanges with Taiwan and not to send the wrong signals to separatist forces in that region.

Currently 183 countries, including the United States, support the One China principle which states that the entire national territory, including Taiwan, is part of one nation with its central government in Beijing.

However, Washington is one of Taipei’s main allies and on several occasions has sold arms to that region, a move that, according to analysts, seeks to contain China.

Taiwan’s recent elections ended with a victory for the candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Lai Ching-te, who is a separatist advocate of the island’s independence.

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