US Speaker confirms meeting with Taiwan’s Tsai despite China warnings

SINGAPORE : US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has confirmed he will meet Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen in California this week, despite China’s warning this could lead to “serious confrontation”.

Ms Tsai will stop over in the US on Wednesday, as she returns from a tour of Taiwan’s allies in Central America.

A visit to Taiwan last year by the former US speaker was seen as a major provocation by China, which reacted with military drills around the island.

US-China relations are at a low point.

Tensions have soared in the wake of a row over alleged spy balloons and increasing US attempts to cut off China’s access to advanced tech.

Mr McCarthy will meet the Taiwanese leader in a “bipartisan” meeting at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library outside of Los Angeles.

The meeting in the US, as opposed to in Taiwan, has been seen as a compromise to avoid inflaming tensions with China.

But Beijing last week cautioned that any meeting between Ms Tsai and the third-highest-ranking US official could lead to the US seeing “serious repercussions”.

On Monday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said Beijing “strongly” opposes any form of official interaction and contact between the US and Taiwan governments.

The US maintains full diplomatic relations with Beijing but is Taiwan’s most important ally and arms supplier.

Since Ms Tsai was elected in 2016, Beijing has ramped up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on the island.

It has increased investment in Latin America, a key diplomatic battleground between the two sides where Taiwan has a few of its 13 diplomatic allies.

Ms Tsai’s visited Guatemala and Belize where she met both nations’ leaders and reaffirmed diplomatic ties.

Taiwan lost an ally in the region, Honduras, last month when it switched loyalties to China.

Taiwan defence officials said President Tsai’s trip abroad had seen more than a dozen Chinese aircraft cross the midway mark of the Taiwan Strait on Friday and Saturday. Taiwan says there is a regular pattern of harassment from Chinese planes.

Beijing views Taiwan, a self-governing island of 23 million, as a breakaway province to be taken by force if necessary.

courtesy: (bbc)