“We are ready to begin negotiations with Washington as part of our joint business initiative for the 21st century,” Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wen urged “the United States adhere to the principle of one China and three joint communiqués between the two countries and deal with Taiwan-related issues reasonably and correctly.” He stressed at a press conference in response to the US congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan that “China will take decisive and effective measures to protect its national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity,” noting that “the US delegation insisted on visiting Taiwan, ignoring official protests and strong opposition from Beijing.”

He again urged “the American side to abide by the One China principle and the three joint communiqués between China and the United States to avoid further damage to China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

The issue of the island of Taiwan, located in East Asia off the coast of China, is one of the most sensitive for Beijing, which considers it an integral part of its territory and rejects any attempts or separatist behavior aimed at its independence from Beijing’s authority.