China blasts latest European visit to Taiwan

China has condemned a recent trip to Taipei by lawmakers from several European nations and the EU itself, insisting all foreign efforts to assist “Taiwan independence” are “doomed to fail.”

Meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday, the delegation included officials from Britain, Ukraine, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Kosovo, the Netherlands, and the European Parliament. Two of the lawmakers are currently under sanctions by Beijing in retaliation for previous EU measures.

Asked about the visit during a Thursday press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian claimed the lawmakers in question “have often deliberately hyped up issues and spread falsehoods and rumors against China.”

“They have little credibility to speak of and are not worth taking up your attention. The farcical political stunt of these few MPs will lead nowhere but only invite disgrace,” Zhao said, adding “a word of advice” to Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party: “to collude with external forces and seek ‘Taiwan independence’ is doomed to fail.”