U.S.-Taiwan travel bill angers China

China slammed the U.S. Senate Thursday for unanimously passing a bill aimed at promoting closer American ties with Taiwan.<br /> The legislation, passed the day before, calls for officials at all levels to travel to and from the United States and self-governing Taiwan, allowing for closer business and cultural exchanges. <br />However, China sees Taiwan as its own and ineligible to forge state relations. <br />The U.S. move would imply that it considers Taiwan to be a sovereign nation, sparking anger from Beijing. <br /><br /> "China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to it....... We urge the U.S. to uphold the One-China policy, stay committed to the Three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques, stop official exchanges and substantial improvement of ties with Taiwan, and properly deal with Taiwan-related issues with prudence so as to avoid disturbance and damage to the China-U.S. relationship."<br /><br /> The bill, which is awaiting President Trump's signature, comes at a time when Washington-Beijing ties are not at their best. <br />Both sides are already at loggerheads over trade, and the latest move has only added to tensions. <br />