A delegation of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang Party (KMT) will visit mainland China from February 8-17, the spokesman for Taiwan affairs office of the Chinese State Council, Zhu Fenglian, said on Monday.
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2023) A delegation of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang Party (KMT) will visit mainland China from February 8-17, the spokesman for Taiwan affairs office of the Chinese State Council, Zhu Fenglian, said on Monday.
The delegation will be led by Vice Chairperson of Kuomintang Andrew Hsia, Zhu said.
She added that China was willing to strengthen interaction and develop cooperation in various fields with the Kuomintang based on the principle of opposing "Taiwan's independence."
The situation around Taiwan escalated after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August. Beijing condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island. Despite this fact, several countries, including France, the US, Japan and others, have since sent their delegations to the island, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan � a territory with its own elected government � maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.
