China says an upcoming transit stop in the U.S. by Taiwan's president carries ulterior political motives.
The comment Wednesday by Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang comes amid Chinese rancor over a phone call between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday that broke more than four decades of diplomatic protocol barring such direct communication.
Tsai plans to stop in the U.S. next month on her way to visit Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador, among the island's handful of diplomatic allies.
Lu told reporters that "transit diplomacy" is among the "petty moves" employed by Taiwan and that the "ulterior political intentions are clear for all to see."
China claims Taiwan as a breakaway province and objects to any nation having formal contact with its government.