US Senator wants China to pay 'greater price' for its actions across world

The United States wants China to pay a "greater price" for Beijing's actions around the world, including its alleged support for Russia and cyberattacks on Taiwan, US Senator Lindsey Graham said on Friday.

Graham is currently visiting Taiwan as part of a delegation of six US lawmakers, headed by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez. The delegation arrived in Taiwan on an unannounced visit for talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and National Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng, reported Sputnik.

"We're going to start making China pay a greater price for what they're doing all over the world. The support for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has come with a price. The never-ending cyber-attacks on your economy and your people by the Communist Chinese needs to come with a price," Graham said during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen.

Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian said on Friday that US lawmakers' visit to Taiwan is severely undercutting the foundation of relations between China and the United States.

Speculations about the US lawmakers' visit have circulated over the past couple of weeks, with the visit initially anticipated last weekend. However, the delegation's visit was postponed after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tested positive for the novel coronavirus, as per the news agency.

China has repeatedly criticized the United States for maintaining official contacts with Taiwan, saying such actions infringe on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and provoke instability in the region.