A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson says the country strongly deplores a visit to Taiwan by Japanese lawmakers and will take strong measures to "defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Furuya Keiji, who is a member of Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party and former chairperson of the National Public Safety Commission, met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Tuesday. Furuya heads a nonpartisan group of lawmakers to promote exchanges with Taiwan. He is visiting Taiwan with the group's secretary-general.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the visit "grossly interferes in China's internal affairs" and "sends a seriously wrong signal" to what the official called Taiwan independence separatist forces.

The spokesperson said, "The Taiwan question bears on the political foundation of China-Japan relations and the basic trust between our two countries."

The official said Beijing urges the Japanese side to "deeply reflect on the events of history" and to "stop stirring up trouble on the Taiwan question."