The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that the Chinese military had sent frigates, bombers and fighter jets into the East China Sea and the area around Taiwan, and the U.S. delegation was interviewed. “This operation is in response to the recent frequent release of erroneous signals by the United States over the Taiwan issue,” the statement said. “The evil deeds and tricks of the United States are completely futile and very dangerous. “Those who play with fire will burn.” The move was “a countermeasure to recent negative actions by the United States, including the visit of a delegation of lawmakers to Taiwan,” according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. He added that China “will continue to take strong steps to resolutely safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” A separate statement from China’s Ministry of Defense described the US visit as “deliberately provocative”, which “led to a further escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Straits”. The bipartisan group, consisting of Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Burr (R-NC), Robert Portman (R-OH), Benjamin Sasse (R-NE), Ronny Jackson (R-TX) and Bob Menendez (D -NJ) landed in Taiwan on Thursday and met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen the next day. During their meeting, Senator Graham told President Tsai Ing-wen that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s aggression have consolidated a common view in the United States. “Leaving Taiwan would mean abandoning democracy and freedom,” the Republican senator said. “There is a response in the world to abuse – to the bad guys.” Meanwhile, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Menendez, called Taiwan a “country of global importance.” Beijing, which considers Taiwan as one of its provinces, has in the past expressed outrage at such a reference to the island nation as a “country.” China has significantly increased its military activity near Taiwan in recent years, frequently conducting air force flights in Taiwan’s air defense zone. Just last month, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Xia Chungin said that Taiwan, as an “inalienable” part of China, was “an indisputable historical and legal event.” The story goes on Do you like this content? Read more from NextShark! University of Maryland sparks controversy over separating Asian students from ‘colored students’ Canadian officer charged with assault 19 months after brutal nursing student Fugitive in Fatal 2017 Hit and Run in California Caught in Australia Conservative TV presenter calls “Parasite” Cast “The Destruction of America” ​​after Oscar victory