China angered as US considers navy visits to Taiwan

China yesterday accused the United States of interfering in its internal affairs and said it had lodged a complaint after US President Donald Trump signed into law an act laying the groundwork for possible US navy visits to self-ruled Taiwan.

Tensions have risen in recent days after a senior Chinese diplomat threatened China would invade Taiwan if any US warships made port visits to the island which China claims as its own territory.

On Monday, Chinese jets carried out "island encirclement patrols" around Taiwan, with state media showing pictures of bombers with cruise missiles slung under their wings as they carried out the exercise.

On Tuesday, Trump signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2018 fiscal year, which authorises the possibility of mutual visits by navy vessels between Taiwan and the United States.

Such visits would be the first since the United States ended formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 and established ties with Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said while the Taiwan sections of the law were not legally binding, they seriously violate the "One China" policy and "constitute an interference in China's internal affairs".