The Chinese government warned this weekend that it will use “military pressure” against the United States if it does not “correct its mistake” of passing the Taiwan Travel Act, a law that encourages Taiwanese government officials to visit America and vice versa. China considers Taiwan a secessionist province with no legitimate federal government. The United States operates under the “One China” policy as interpreted in the Taiwan Relations Act, which recognizes the existence of only one nation called “China” but also maintains friendly relations with the sovereign government of Taiwan. While China has incessantly objected to any ties between Taipei and Washington, the Taiwan Travel Act has triggered greater outrage than usual because it grants special status to members of the Taiwanese government that implies a recognition of the legitimacy of that government.
President Donald Trump signed the Taiwan Travel Act into law on Friday, allowing high-level diplomatic engagement between Taiwanese and American officials and opening the way for unrestricted travel to the U.S. for Taiwanese officials.
The Global Times, China’s most bellicose English-language government newspaper, cited “experts” who predicted China would react militarily to the news. “China will and should take timely countermeasures against the U.S. and all ‘Taiwan independence’ secessionist forces through diplomatic and military means,” the Times claimed that “Chinese observers” were arguing.
“The passing of the act is a serious political provocation, as it has crossed the ‘red line’ and will thoroughly undermine relations,” a retired Chinese general, Xu Guangyu, told the newspaper.
Another “expert” told the newspaper that China will respond to any elevated clamor for independence from Taiwan with “military probes circling the island and send more military vessels and airplanes to patrol the Straits.”
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