China threatens ‘resolute countermeasures’ if Kevin McCarthy meets Taiwan president
March 29, 2023
On Wednesday, China threatened to take “resolute countermeasures” if U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R, CA-20) meets with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during her 10-day tour of the Americas.
Tsai, who wants her trip to showcase Taiwan’s commitment to democratic values, is scheduled to arrive in New York on Thursday before heading to Guatemala and Belize later this week. On her way back to Taiwan on April 5, she is also expected to stop in Los Angeles, where a meeting with McCarthy is tentatively scheduled.
Before boarding the plane on Wednesday afternoon in Taiwan, Tsai told reporters:
I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world. External pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world.
China, which has vowed to seize the island one day, has denounced Tsai’s stopover in the U.S. and demanded officials not to meet with her.
“We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures. [The U.S. should] refrain from arranging Tsai Ing-wen’s transit visits and even contact with American officials, and take concrete actions to fulfill its solemn commitment not to support Taiwan independence,” Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said during a news conference.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also noted that China will “closely follow the development of the situation and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“The United States should stop claiming to set up guardrails for China-U.S. relations while conducting dangerous activities that undermine the political foundation of bilateral ties,” said Mao.
Tensions have been rising between the U.S. and China, with threats intensifying under President Xi Jinping in recent years.
The tension between Beijing and Washington has heightened over U.S. support for Taiwan, trade and human rights issues.
Taiwan has been living under the constant fear of invasion as Beijing continues to claim Taipei as part of its territory.
Earlier this month, Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced that the Honduras government will sever ties with Taipei and establish an official relationship with Beijing, leaving Taiwan with only 13 diplomatic allies that recognize it as a country.
Last week, Xi visited his firm friend, Russian President Vladimir Putin, for a two-day meeting in the Kremlin. Both leaders signed two agreements, including to affirm their partnership and to set out plans for economic cooperation.
Beijing launched missiles over Taiwan after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-governing island in August 2022.
China deployed warships across the Taiwan Strait and carried out large-scale military exercises around Taiwan.
As Taiwan’s diplomatic pressure increases, China has reportedly been sending military fighter jets flying around the island on a near-daily basis.
McCarthy, who previously said he would meet with Tsai, has not shown signs of relenting.
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