The bill has angered Chinese officials, who see Taiwan as an inalienable provincial territory of China because of the One China Policy that was established in the US-PRC joint communique of 1982. As the deadline for Trump to sign the bill approaches, Beijing has issued a stark response.

"The so-called bill you mention, though not legally binding, severely violates the 'one China principle' as well as joint US-China communiques,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang mentioned in a press statement.

“[The] one-China principle is the political foundation of the China-US relationship. We urge the US side to adhere to the one-China policy and honor the commitments it made in the three joint communiqués, stop pursuing any official ties with Taiwan or improving its current relations with Taiwan in any substantive way,” he reiterated on March 17. “It must handle Taiwan-related issues properly and cautiously so as to avoid causing any major disruption or damage to the China-US relations.”

Chinese state media speculates that the bill could embolden Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to seek full independence for the island, possibly triggering China’s Anti-Secession Law. Passed in 2005, the legislation allows Beijing to “use force to prevent the island from seceding,” an editorial in the official China Daily warned. However contentious it is, the bill is non-binding and its practical application remains to be seen.