China is warning Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in opposition to visiting Taiwan after studies that the GOP chief is planning a visit later this 12 months to the island, which is a flashpoint within the rising tensions between Beijing and Washington.

“We urge sure people within the U.S. to earnestly abide by the one-China precept,” International Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated in a press release Monday, not directly referring to McCarthy’s plans, including China is “against any official interactions with Taiwan.”

The Chinese language response follows a Punchbowl News report final week that the Pentagon is within the “early levels” of planning McCarthy’s go to to Taiwan, probably this spring.

McCarthy’s go to would mirror one by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) final 12 months which additionally drew ire from the Chinese language authorities and additional strained tensions with the U.S.

It additionally comes as Home Republicans stake out a hard-line place on China, with the brand new Congress establishing a select committee on U.S.–China financial relations as one in all its first actions earlier this month.

“China is the No. 1 nation with regards to mental property theft,” McCarthy stated on “Meet the Press” in November. “All the opposite nations mixed, China steals more than them. We’ll put a cease to this and now not enable the administration to take a seat again and let China do what they’re doing to America.”

The committee will “expose and combat in opposition to the Chinese language Communist Celebration’s cyber, commerce, and army threats in opposition to America,” McCarthy tweeted final month.

China claims Taiwan — a self-governing democratic island nation off the coast of China — has an illegitimate authorities and that China has rightful management over the island. As Chinese language President Xi Jinping expands his energy inside China, fears are rising that he’ll search to exert management over Taiwan within the coming years, by means of financial, army or different means. 

Whereas the U.S. formally adheres to the “one China” coverage, which doesn’t acknowledge the sovereignty of Taiwan, the U.S. has persistently supported Taiwan each economically and militarily as a democratic bulwark in opposition to the authoritarian Chinese language authorities.

President Biden has repeatedly urged that he would ship U.S. troops to assist repel a possible Chinese language invasion of the island. 

Upon Pelosi’s go to to the Taiwanese capital Taipei final August, which got here with broad bipartisan support, China responded with a massive show of force, together with air and sea drills and a possible cyberattack on the Taiwanese authorities.

Chinese language officers known as Pelosi’s go to “like enjoying with fireplace,” on the time.

These drills have solely elevated in current months, together with a record number of Chinese aircraft drawing close to Taiwanese airspace in December. That will have been in response to the Biden administration’s announcement of a further $425 million in arms for Taiwanese protection, made weeks earlier than. That sale has acquired bipartisan reward, and lawmakers on each side of the aisle are pushing the Biden administration for extra Taiwan support.