TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The People's Liberation Army (PLA) accused a delegation of U.S. senators visiting Taiwan of disrupting and destroying peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait through their visit to Taiwan and announced additional military exercises in the strait.

On Sunday evening (Aug. 14), a five-member U.S. congressional delegation, led by Senator Ed Markey arrived in Taipei, just 12 days after U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a historic trip to the country. In response, the PLA Easter Theater Command on Monday afternoon blasted the latest visit as "flagrantly violating" the "one-China" principle and the Three Communiques, as well as China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The PLA claimed that the visit by the senators sends the "wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces, and fully exposes the true face of the U.S. as a disruptor and destroyer of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." The Eastern Theater Command then announced that it organized multi-service joint combat readiness patrols and drills in the "sea and airspace around Taiwan Island."

The statement alleged that "Taiwan is China's Taiwan" and that no foreign interference would be allowed to interfere with the "Taiwan issue." It warned U.S. and Democratic Progressive Party leaders that the strategies of "Using Taiwan to control China" and "relying on the U.S. to seek independence" are "doomed to fail."

Without citing any opinion polls, the PLA asserted that any attempt or act that "goes against the trend of history, goes against the will of the entire Chinese people." It added that such actions would "obstruct the process of China's unification" and ultimately end in failure.

The military arm of the Chinese Communist Party then vowed that it "continues to train and prepare for war" as it "resolutely defends national sovereignty and territory and resolutely smashes any form of Taiwan independence separatism and foreign interference attempts."

On Sunday evening, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) took to Twitter to welcome the visit by Marky and his bipartisan delegation and thanked the "like-minded U.S. lawmakers for the timely visit and unwavering support." The next day, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) uploaded a post to the account thanking the senators for their visit and declared that China "can't dictate how democratic Taiwan makes friends, wins support, stays resilient, and shines like a beacon of freedom."