China blasts Pentagon official’s Taiwan visit, military ties

BEIJING (AP) — China has sharply criticized a visit to Taiwan by a senior Pentagon official and reaffirmed sanctions against Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon for supplying military equipment to the self-governing island. The comments from the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday underscore the dramatic deterioration in relations between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan, technology, trade and, increasingly, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Asked about the visit by Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense for China, the office spokesperson said China resolutely opposes any official interaction between the U.S. and the island it considers its territory. The Foreign Ministry says Taiwanese authorities are attempting to seek independence with U.S. support.