China denounces 'vile provocation' of U.S. senators in Taiwan

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Chris Coons (D-DE) wave next to Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, after their arrival via a U.S. Air Force freighter at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan June 6, 2021. Central News Agency/Pool via REUTERS

China's Defence Ministry on Tuesday denounced a brief weekend visit by three U.S. senators to Chinese-claimed Taiwan on a U.S. military aircraft as a "vile political provocation".

"We are resolutely opposed to it," the ministry said.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Andrew Heavens)