BEIJING - A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Tuesday urged the United States to stop all forms of official contact with Taiwan so as to avoid further damage to China-US relations.

Hua Chunying, the spokeswoman, made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on US Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Gina McCarthy's visit to Taiwan.

McCarthy visited Taiwan Monday and met with Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou in the first visit by a US cabinet-level official in 14 years.

No matter its purpose, McCarthy's Taiwan visit has violated the principles set forth in the three Sino-US Joint Communiques as well as the US commitment to China on the Taiwan issue, said Hua.

China has voiced firm opposition and strong dissatisfaction over the US move and has lodged serious representations to the US side, she said.

"We again urge the US side to seriously abide by the principles enshrined in the three Sino-US Joint Communiques and its commitment to China," she said, calling on the US to cautiously and properly deal with Taiwan-related issues to avoid further damage to bilateral ties.

The Taiwan issue is the most sensitive and core issue in Sino-US relations. Principles for correctly handling the issue have been defined in the three Sino-US Joint Communiques signed in 1972, 1978 and 1982.

The US has committed to abide by the one-China policy and the principles set out in the three joint communiques, and to oppose the ideas of "one China, one Taiwan," "two Chinas," Taiwan independence, or Taiwan's entry to the United Nations or other international organizations with membership by sovereign states.