China sets sanctions on Taiwan figures to punish US, island

BEIJING (AP) — China imposed visa bans and other sanctions Tuesday on Taiwanese political figures as it raises pressure on the self-governing island and the U.S. in response to successive congressional visits.

The sanctions come a day after China announced more military exercises in the seas and skies surrounding Taiwan because of what it called “collusion and provocation between the U.S. and Taiwan.” There's been no word on the timing and scale of the Chinese exercises.

They were announced the same day a U.S. congressional delegation met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, and after a similar visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-level member of the U.S. government to visit Taiwan in 25 years. The Chinese government objects to Taiwan having any official contact with foreign governments because it considers Taiwan its own territory, and its recent saber rattling has emphasized its threat to take the island by military force.

Pelosi's visit was followed by nearly two weeks of threatening Chinese military exercises that included the firing of missiles over the island and incursions by navy ships and warplanes across the midline of the Taiwan Strait that has long been a buffer between the sides.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters that China had overreacted with its "provocative and totally unnecessary response to the congressional delegation that visited Taiwan earlier this month.”

The targets of China's latest sanctions include Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the U.S., Bi-khim Hsiao, and legislators Ker Chien-ming, Koo Li-hsiung, Tsai Chi-chang, Chen Jiau-hua and Wang Ting-yu, along with activist Lin Fei-fan.

They will be barred from traveling to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, and from having any...