TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress on Thursday (April 6) condemned U.S. House Speaker Keven McCarthy's meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Wednesday (April 5) as "crossing the red line."

At 10 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, McCarthy greeted Tsai at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California for a historic two-hour closed-door meeting, which included 18 other bipartisan members of Congress. On Thursday morning, Chinese state-run media released a statement issued by the committee in response to the meeting.

The statement said Beijing has issued "strong opposition and solemn representation" over the meeting. The committee claimed that the meeting "gravely violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, seriously breached international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and severely undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. China's National People's Congress firmly opposes and strongly condemns the move."

The committee said McCarthy's actions have "seriously broken the commitment" the U.S. made to China over Taiwan and relayed "seriously wrong signals to separatist forces seeking 'Taiwan independence.'" It accused the U.S. of having "trampled on historical facts and justice and damaged international rule of law."

It warned that any attempts aimed at "using Taiwan to contain China" and the backing of "conniving 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces are doomed to fail." The committee alleged that any actions to seek Taiwan independence by "soliciting foreign support" and stymie annexation of Taiwan will be "brought to justice" under the guise of China's Anti-Secession Law.

China's Anti-Secession law, which was passed in 2005, threatens invasion if "Taiwan independence’ secessionist forces should act under any name or by any means to cause the fact of Taiwan’s separation from China or that major incidents entailing Taiwan’s secession from China should occur, or that possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted." The Mainland Affairs Council pointed out that the law broadened the conditions under which China could invade Taiwan, made the definition of these conditions even more ambiguous, and gave Beijing "greater discretion to use force against Taiwan."

The Chinese said the "Taiwan question" is at the core of Beijing's interests, the foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the "first line" is not to be crossed." It closed by urging Washington to "stop distorting, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle, cease the adventurist act of crossing the red line, and stop undermining the political foundation of China-U.S. relations."