China’s state-run Global Times says that China will boycott any US official that visits Taiwan, as well as any business with ties to them.
That comes as US Undersecretary of State Keith Krach expresses interest in visiting Taiwan to begin bilateral trade dialogue.
Krach’s visit would come on the heels of another high-profile visit from a US official. Last month, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar visited Taiwan for five days, becoming the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan since 1979.
In a report on Wednesday, the Global Times reported that its editor-in-chief, Hu Xijin, had said on social media that US officials should think twice before visiting Taiwan. According to the report, Hu said they should understand the importance of the Taiwan issue to Chinese people. Hu wrote, “The Chinese will remember for a lifetime those that dare to provoke China with the Taiwan issue.” He also warned that China would not welcome those officials or do business with them.