(ANSA) - BEIJING, AUGUST 31 - A new US delegation is in Taiwan, the fifth in August, provoking the harsh reaction of China: it is led by the governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, engaged in the three-day visit that includes meetings with President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
Ducey, according to the Taipei Foreign Ministry, will participate in the 'US Business Day', an event to promote commercial and investment opportunities.
China urged the US "to respect the principle of one China and to stop all official exchanges with the Taiwan region," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman ZhaoLijian said.
Ducey is the second American governor to visit Taiwan in August after that of Indiana Eric J. Holcomb, while the US Congress has sent three missions of which the first, on August 2-3, led by the speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, at the origin of the rabbiosa reaction from Beijing and seven unprecedented days of military maneuvers by the People's Liberation Army around the island.
During his trip, Ducey will also visit semiconductor companies and universities with dedicated microprocessor programs, in an attempt to expand cooperation between his state and the island that Beijing considers an "inalienable" part of its territory to be reunified even with force, if necessary. .
Taiwan has close economic and commercial ties with Arizona, where approximately 100 Taiwanese companies have made investments, mainly in the semiconductor, aviation and electronics sectors.
When asked to comment on Ducey's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian replied in the daily briefing that China would "take strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity".
Meanwhile, Beijing's armed forces continue to operate around the island, keeping the military pressure high.
(HANDLE).