In response to the legislation, China said Saturday that it "firmly opposes" the move and demanded the U.S. "correct its mistake," according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website.

The legislation, known as the Taiwan Travel Act, came into effect Friday after President Donald Trump signed the bill.

China should and will take military action if the U.S. decides to press ahead with legislation designed to encourage high-level contact with Taiwanese officials, according to a report by state media outlet The Global Times. The legislation, known as the Taiwan Travel Act, came into effect Friday after President Donald Trump signed the bill. China was reportedly angered by the move, as it has long-viewed the self-ruled island as a wayward province.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) at the G-20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, July 8, 2017. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

The Global Times, considered a provocative but widely-read mouthpiece for Beijing, quoted Chinese observers who said the country would have no choice but to respond with "counter moves" if the U.S. were to make any moves to elevate its relations with the island. Liu Weidong, a research fellow at the Institute of American Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the Chinese army would resume its military probes circling the island and send more military vessels and airplanes if any "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces perceive the U.S bill as a pro-independence signal.