The Chinese military has responded to a visit by five US congressmen to Taipei with a "combat drill in the waters and airspace around Taiwan".

The delegation, led by Senator Ed Markey of the Democratic Party, met with President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday.

Friederike Böge

Political correspondent for China, North Korea and Mongolia.

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US congressmen visiting Taiwan are not uncommon.

This visit is given additional significance by the fact that it is the first since the trip to Taiwan by the "speaker" of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, almost two weeks ago.

Markey and his colleagues had most likely planned their trip to the Indo-Pacific region for some time.

A Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman called the delegation's visit Monday a "blatant violation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The East Regional Command conducted a combat exercise and patrol as a "determined countermeasure and to deter US-Taiwan collusion and provocation," spokesman Wu Qian said.

Taiwan's Defense Ministry confirmed "activity" from 30 military aircraft and five ships around Taiwan.

Fifteen of the planes flew over the Taiwan Strait center line, which has long served as an unofficial buffer.

The threatening gesture provides an indication of China's further action after the unprecedented military maneuvers with which the country responded to Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

Among other things, it fired missiles over Taiwan for the first time and simulated preparations for a naval blockade.

Monday's combat exercise fuels fears that Beijing intends to keep up the increased military pressure on Taiwan.

President Tsai told the US delegation in a statement that Taiwan continues to strive to maintain a stable status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

China's military maneuvers have undermined stability in the region.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter that "authoritarian China cannot dictate how democratic Taiwan makes friends, wins support, remains resilient and shines like a beacon of freedom."

America and Taiwan, however, seemed intent on downplaying the visit of the congressional delegation.

So there were no statements in front of running cameras.

Markey said through a spokesman that the goal was to "reaffirm United States support for Taiwan."

New tensions are on the horizon

In the past, China has reacted to American politicians' delegations in Taipei with military threats.

What is new, however, is that the Ministry of Defense has announced this explicitly instead of leaving the verbal protest to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This called on the United States on Monday "not to go further and further on the path of distorting and undermining the One China principle".

Beijing falsely claims that the US government has committed to its "one China principle," according to which Taiwan is part of China.

In fact, the United States considers Taiwan's status as "undetermined" in its "One China Policy."

After the Pelosi visit, China has launched a new campaign to falsify history.

For example, Chinese diplomats tweeted the false claim that the United Nations decided in 1971 that Taiwan was part of China.

A majority of the UN member states only voted in favor of the Taiwan-based government in exile of the Republic of China having to give up its UN seat to the People's Republic of China.

Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai was dissatisfied with Resolution 2758 because "Taiwan's status (in it) has not yet been decided."

New tensions in Sino-US relations are already on the horizon.

A new US bill called the Taiwan Policy Act would require the United States to allocate $4.5 billion to Taiwan for security spending over the next five years.

In addition, according to the draft's supporters, the Taiwan representative office in Washington should in future bear "Taiwan" instead of "Taipei" in its name and thus "de facto treat Taiwan diplomatically in the same way as other foreign governments".

It is foreseeable that China sees this as a step towards diplomatic recognition of Taiwan as an independent state and will react harshly.

In addition, according to the draft, Taiwan is to be upgraded to an “important non-NATO ally”.

The Foreign Relations Committee plans to vote on the draft in September.

President Joe Biden's administration has raised concerns.

A spokeswoman for the National Security Council said some content contradicted and undermined America's one-China policy.