TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Spokesperson Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) protested U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s visit to Taiwan on Saturday (Aug. 27), calling it a serious violation of the “one China” principle and the three U.S.-Sino joint communiques.

Ma said he had warned the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that attempts to woo “external anti-China forces” and seek independence are doomed to fail, according to UDN. China's foreign ministry also issued a press release saying that Beijing firmly opposes the visit, stressing that it "will continue to take strong measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Blackburn landed in Taipei on Thursday (Aug. 25) and met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) the next day. The senator said the two countries shared values, such as "loving freedom, loving democracy," and emphasized that it is vital "freedom-loving nations support Taiwan as they seek to preserve their independence and their freedom."

Blackburn said she looks forward to supporting Taiwanese "as they push forward as an independent nation." She later tweeted a video of her speech and expressed gratitude to Tsai for her strong leadership in "standing up to the Chinese Communist Party."

She pledged U.S. support for Taiwan and "its freedom-loving people."

The senator also met with National Security Council Secretary-General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) and attended a lunch banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮). She left Taiwan on Saturday (Aug. 27).

Her trip is the fourth by a U.S. delegation in August. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan on Aug. 2, Senator Ed Markey came on Aug. 14, and Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb arrived on Aug. 21.