China on Monday said it had lodged an official protest with the United States following the passage of a defence spending bill that could lead to American warships visiting Taiwan.
Beijing has long objected to any military assistance from Washington to the self-governed island, which it considers a breakaway province.
“China firmly opposes any forms of official exchange and military contact between the US and Taiwan,” Foreign Ministry spokesman lu Kang told reporters at a regular press briefing, adding that Beijing had made “stern representations” to Washington over the bill.
The National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2018, passed by the US House of Representatives Friday, contains a section on Taiwan, which calls on Washington to provide the island’s military with increased military training and to encourage it to expand its defence spending.
An amendment to the bill directs the Pentagon to submit a report to Congress on the feasibility of reestablishing port calls between the US and Taiwanese navies.
The American navy stopped such visits to Taiwan in 1979, when Washington changed diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing.