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China has accused the US of sending \u201ca gravely wrong signal\u201d to those pushing for Taiwan\u2019s independence after Saturday\u2019s election result. <\/p>\n
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent Taiwanese president-elect William Lai a message of congratulations following the result.<\/p>\n
Beijing called the message a violation of Washington\u2019s commitment to maintain only unofficial ties with Taiwan.<\/p>\n
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Mr Lai has vowed to protect Taiwan from an increasingly aggressive China.<\/p>\n
But Beijing sees Taiwan as its territory and fiercely challenges any government that says otherwise.<\/p>\n
Messages of congratulations for Taiwan\u2019s new leader poured in from all over the world after the election, including from Mr Blinken \u2013 who emphasised the partnership between Taipei and Washington, which he said was rooted in democratic values.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to working with Dr Lai and Taiwan\u2019s leaders of all parties to advance our shared interests and values,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Mr Blinken also stressed that the US, one of Taiwan\u2019s biggest allies, is \u201ccommitted to maintaining cross-strait peace and stability\u201d.<\/p>\n
The top US diplomat was also quick to say that such collaboration should \u201cfurther our longstanding unofficial relationship\u201d and be \u201cconsistent with the US One China policy\u201d.<\/p>\n
Under the policy, the US recognises and has formal ties with China rather than the island of Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province to be unified with the mainland one day.<\/p>\n
Mr Blinken\u2019s remarks drew sharp criticism from Beijing, which views any statement of support for Taiwan as lending legitimacy to a candidate and political party it sees as a gang of separatists hoping to turn Taiwan into an independent sovereign nation.<\/p>\n
In a statement, China\u2019s foreign ministry said Mr Blinken\u2019s congratulations violated the US\u2019s promise to maintain \u201conly cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations\u201d with Taiwan.<\/p>\n
It stressed that the Taiwan question is \u201cthe first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations\u201d and said it had lodged a formal diplomatic complaint.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina firmly opposes the US having any form of official interaction with Taiwan and interfering in Taiwan affairs in any way or under any pretext.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beijing\u2019s statement will likely serve as a warning to Washington after it sent an unofficial delegation of former US officials to hold talks with leading political figures in Taiwan just hours after the self-ruled island elected Mr Lai.<\/p>\n
Deployed by US President Joe Biden, who himself welcomed the election results, the delegation includes a former US national security adviser and a former deputy secretary of state.<\/p>\n
Other Western countries, including the UK, France and Germany, congratulated the new leader.<\/p>\n
Beijing\u2019s Communist government reviles Mr Lai\u2019s pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which has governed Taiwan for eight years.<\/p>\n
That is because China sees any statement of support towards the DPP as lending legitimacy to politicians, which Beijing sees as a gang of separatists hoping to turn Taiwan into an independent sovereign nation.<\/p>\n
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