China warned Washington not to "play with fire" on Wednesday as a US delegation wrapped up a historic trip to the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

Beijing has been infuriated by the highest-profile visit in decades to Taiwan, which it sees as part of its territory, as US-China relations plunge to a record low over a range of issues from trade to military and the coronavirus pandemic.

Health chief Alex Azar finished a three-day visit to Taiwan, during which he criticised China's handling of the pandemic and visited the shrine of a former Taiwan president hated by the Communist Party leadership.

Beijing slammed the visit Wednesday and said it "firmly opposes official exchanges between the US and Taiwan under any pretext".

"On issues involving China's core interests, some people in the US must not harbour illusions, those who play with fire will get burned," said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian at a regular press briefing.

"I would also like to remind the Taiwan authorities not to be… subservient to others, to rely on the support of foreigners, and to be bent on pursuing independence, which is a dead end," Zhao said.

Beijing insists that Taiwan — which has been self-ruled since 1949 — is part of "one China" and has vowed to react with force if it ever formally declares independence.

On the last day of the trip, Azar visited a shrine to Taiwan's late president Lee Teng-hui Wednesday, praising his role in steering the island's transition to democracy.

The US cabinet member wrote a message of condolence for Lee, who died last month aged 97.

"President Lee's democratic legacy will forever propel the U.S.-Taiwan relationship forward," Azar wrote.

Lee was a towering figure in Taiwan's recent history.

He defied China by pushing for the island to be recognised as a sovereign nation and earned the nickname "Mr Democracy" for the part he played in its transition from authoritarian rule.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, loathed Lee. When news emerged of his death, Chinese state media called him "the godfather of Taiwan secessionism".

Both Washington and Taipei portrayed Azar's trip as an opportunity to learn from the success of Taiwan's battle against the coronavirus.

The island has fewer than 500 infections and just seven deaths, compared with more than 160,000 fatalities in the United States.

But the visit has also been an opportunity to ruffle Beijing's feathers at a time when US President Donald Trump is taking an increasingly hard line against China as he seeks re-election in November.

– 'Our friend and partner' –

"We will continue to support Taiwan as our friend and our partner across security, economic and healthcare issues," Azar told reporters after a visit to a mask factory on Wednesday, shortly before flying back the the States.

China takes umbrage at any formal recognition of Taiwan.

It called for Azar's trip to be cancelled and Taiwan accused Beijing of sending fighter jets over a de facto border on Monday, the day the US health chief met President Tsai Ing-wen.

During his visit Azar has repeatedly contrasted Taiwan's open, democratic system with China's authoritarian leadership.

In a speech on Tuesday he suggested the coronavirus might have been stopped sooner had it emerged in a more transparent and democratic place, such as Taiwan, rather than China.

He also hit out at Beijing for keeping Taiwan locked out of the World Health Organization.

China has taken an increasingly hostile approach towards Taiwan since Tsai took office in 2016.

Despite the pressure campaign she won a second term earlier this year with a landslide.

US health chief slams China over virus on Taiwan trip
Taipei (AFP) Aug 11, 2020 –

The coronavirus might have been stamped out more quickly had it emerged in democratic Taiwan instead of autocratic China, the US health secretary said Tuesday during a historic diplomatic trip to Taipei.

Alex Azar's renewed criticism of China's handling of the pandemic is likely to further stoke already fiery tensions between the United States and China, where the disease first appeared late last year.

The two powers are clashing over a wide range of trade, military and security issues, as well as the pandemic.

"The Chinese Communist Party had the chance to warn the world and work with the world on battling the virus. But they chose not to, and the costs of that choice mount higher every day," Azar said in a speech at a public health college.

"I believe it is no exaggeration to say that, if this virus had emerged in a place like Taiwan or the United States, it might have been snuffled out easily," he added.

"Instead, Beijing appears to have resisted information-sharing, muzzling doctors who spoke out and hobbling the world's ability to respond."

Azar's three-day trip is billed as the highest-level visit from the United States since it switched diplomatic recognition from the island to China in 1979.

Earlier Tuesday, he held a rare meeting with Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, who said Taiwan lives under the constant threat of having its freedoms taken away by China.

"Our life has become increasingly difficult as China continues to pressure Taiwan into accepting its political conditions, conditions that will turn Taiwan into the next Hong Kong," Wu said.

A crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong has gathered pace since China imposed a sweeping security law on the financial hub in June, with opposition politicians disqualified and activists arrested.

That has caused alarm in Taiwan — a self-ruled island of 23 million people that Beijing claims as its own territory and has vowed to one day seize, by force if necessary.

– 'Familiar' threats –

"The people of Taiwan are all too familiar with dealing with threats, be it military, diplomatic or the threats of epidemics," Wu said.

Beijing has ramped up diplomatic, military and economic pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who won a second term earlier this year with a landslide.

She rejects Beijing's stance that Taiwan is part of "one China" and instead views the island as "already independent".

China has suggested Taiwan could be granted a version of the "one country, two systems" model it uses for Hong Kong, which supposedly guarantees certain liberties and autonomy from the authoritarian mainland.

All mainstream political parties in Taiwan have rejected the proposal.

And what little enthusiasm there was for the idea has all but evaporated as China cracks down on Hong Kong's democracy movement.

On Monday, Taiwan said China sent fighter jets over a de facto border separating the two rivals in the Taiwan Strait shortly before Azar met President Tsai.

Taiwan, which has fewer than 500 confirmed COVID-19 cases including seven deaths, has been able to contain the virus because of its democracy and transparency, Wu said.

"In contrast to an authoritarian model where the authority is too crippled to disclose fact, in the transparent Taiwan Model, we simply can't afford to lie or conceal."

China has also managed to get its outbreak largely under control, with sweeping lockdowns and travel restrictions.

In contrast, the United States has the highest death toll in the world with more than 160,000 fatalities.

US President Donald Trump has been accused by critics of taking a harder stance towards China to distract from his coronavirus response as he seeks re-election in November.