China opposes US-Taiwan relations

Beijing, July 19 (IANS) China Thursday said it was opposed to official relations between the US and Taiwan, after an American official visited the island nation off the eastern coast of China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China's position was consistent and clear for US-Taiwan relations, Xinhua reported.

Hong made the remarks in response to a report that Dawn L. McCall, coordinator for International Information Programs of the US State Department, had visited Taiwan recently.

The spokesman said China urges the US to adhere to the One-China policy.

"The US side should address issues related to Taiwan appropriately and stop any form of official contacts with Taiwan, so as to avoid damaging the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and Sino-US relations," Hong said.

According to BBC, Taiwan has been independent since 1950, but China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the Communists under Mao Zedong swept to power.