China deplores US senator's visit to Taiwan

China deplores US recent contacts with Taiwan and has lodged solemn representations with the US, China said on Tuesday.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a routine press briefing in Beijing in response to US Senator Tammy Duckworth's visit to Taiwan.

The congresswoman's visit to Taiwan "seriously violates the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques," Zhao said. "Taiwan is a province of China, what president does it have to speak of?"

China urged "relevant US politicians to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques," Zhao said, "and immediately stop official exchanges with Taiwan in any form and refrain from sending any wrong signals to the Taiwan independence separatist forces."

(Subtitles by Zhang Jian; Story compiled by Meng Gaohan)