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China Condemns British MPs for Ignoring Demand Not to Visit Taiwan


FILE - Policemen stand guard outside China's Embassy in London, Britain, Oct. 18, 2015. A statement issued Sunday by the diplomatic mission called a visit by British lawmakers, planned for Monday, a "gross interference in China's internal affairs."
FILE - Policemen stand guard outside China's Embassy in London, Britain, Oct. 18, 2015. A statement issued Sunday by the diplomatic mission called a visit by British lawmakers, planned for Monday, a "gross interference in China's internal affairs."

China's embassy in Britain on Sunday condemned a visit this week by British lawmakers to Taiwan, saying they were insisting on visiting the island despite China's strong opposition.

Taiwan's Presidential Office said the group of six lawmakers from the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group would meet President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Monday.

China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has been ramping up military, political and economic pressure to assert those claims.

A statement from China's embassy in London said that the lawmakers have "insisted on visiting the Taiwan region of China despite China's resolute opposition."

This is a "gross interference in China's internal affairs and a serious wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces," the embassy said.

"We want to tell the relevant British politicians that any act that harms China's interests will definitely be vigorously countered by China," it added, without elaborating.

Taiwan regularly hosts visiting foreign lawmakers, which China routinely condemns.

Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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