Pompeo draws anger from China after congratulating Taiwan president on inauguration

China threatened “counter-measures” against the United States after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo congratulated Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen for being inaugurated to a second term.

Tsai was sworn in Wednesday after winning reelection in January. China claims that Taiwan is part of its country, but Taiwan, known as the Republic of China, asserts independence.

“Congratulations to Dr. Tsai Ing-wen on the commencement of your second-term as Taiwan’s President. Taiwan’s vibrant democracy is an inspiration to the region and the world. With President Tsai at the helm, our partnership with Taiwan will continue to flourish,” Pompeo said on Twitter.

Lijian Zhao, a spokesman with the Chinese Foreign Ministry, lashed out against Pompeo’s message to Tsai over Twitter.

“On Pompeo’s congratulation to Tsai Ing-wen on her inauguration, we express strong indignation and condemnation. China will take necessary counter-measures, and the consequences will be borne by the US side,” he said.

The Chinese Ministry of Defense also responded to Pompeo in a statement that bashed Pompeo’s congratulatory remarks and said Taiwan is an “inalienable” part of China, according to the Hill.

Relations between the U.S. and China have been growing tenser since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump has criticized China for downplaying the severity of COVID-19 and its country’s outbreak when the virus was first detected there late last year.

There has also been an ongoing media tit for tat between the two countries that began in April when China revoked the press credentials of three Wall Street Journal reporters as punishment for an opinion piece the government didn’t like. The State Department responded by issuing new limits on the number of Chinese journalists who can work for Chinese-run news organizations, and this month, it tightened visa restrictions on Chinese journalists.