China blasts meeting between Taiwan's Tsai and US' McCarthy

China has condemned the meeting between US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwan's top official Tsai Ing-wen in California.

"In response to the seriously erroneous acts of collusion between the United States and Taiwan, China will take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the ministry said in a statement published by Xinhua.

Beijing sees Taiwan as its breakaway province and balks at any official contact Taipei has with other countries.

Earlier, McCarthy welcomed Taiwan's Tsai to a high-level meeting on US soil as a "great friend of America" in a fraught show of US support.

More than a dozen Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including the House's third-ranking Democrat, joined Republican McCarthy on Wednesday for the talks at southern California's Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, against a backdrop of rising tensions between the US and China.

McCarthy said he wanted Tsai to see that "this is a bipartisan meeting of members of Congress," not any one political party.

"We will continue to find ways for the people of America and Taiwan to work together to promote economic freedom, democracy, peace and stability in Asia," the House speaker said.

Later he said both sides talked about "how we can speed up weapons going to Taiwan," adding "China cannot tell me where I can go or who I can meet. There is no need for retaliation from China for meeting with Taiwan president."

The United States broke off official ties with Taiwan in 1979 while formally establishing diplomatic relations with the Beijing government. 

The US acknowledges a "one-China" policy but it remains Taiwan's key provider of military and defence assistance.

For Tsai, it was the most sensitive stop on a weeklong journey meant to shore up alliances with the US and Central America.

No speaker is known to have met with a Taiwan top official on US soil since the US broke off formal diplomatic relations.

READ MORE: Taiwan leader set to meet US House Speaker despite China warning

China-Taiwan split 

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war and have no official relations, although they are linked by billions of dollars in trade and investment. China regularly flies fighter planes and bombers near Taiwan to emphasise its stance that the breakaway island is obliged to eventually unite with the mainland, by force if necessary.

When president Jimmy Carter formally established diplomatic relations with the Beijing government. Congress responded by writing into law that the US would nonetheless retain close ties with Taiwan.

Tsai on Wednesday thanked the US Congress for standing by Taiwan and said she had cited former US president Ronald Reagan in telling McCarthy and other Republican and Democratic lawmakers of her belief that "to preserve peace, we must be strong."

"I would like to add that we are stronger when we are together," she said standing side-by-side with McCarthy after their meeting at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Supporters waving Taiwan flags and pro-Taiwan and Hong Kong banners chanted "Jiayou Taiwan" — the equivalent of "Go Taiwan" — in the Reagan Library parking lot ahead of Tsai and McCarthy’s arrival for the highest-level meeting.

A small plane flew over the library towing a pro-Beijing banner saying "One China! Taiwan is part of China!"

READ MORE: China warns meeting of Tsai, McCarthy will 'further damage' Sino-US ties