China has warned that it will “resolutely fight back” if US House of Representatives Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, meets with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during her transit through the United States. President Tsai is scheduled to visit Guatemala and Belize, transiting through New York and California in the US. While it has not been officially confirmed, she is expected to meet McCarthy in California towards the end of her 10-day trip.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly cautioned US officials against meeting with President Tsai, which it views as support for the island’s aspiration to be recognized as a separate country. In August of last year, when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, Beijing conducted war games around Taiwan. Taiwan’s armed forces have stated that they are keeping a close watch on any Chinese moves when Tsai is abroad.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, Zhu Fenglian, stated at a news conference in Beijing that Tsai’s transits in the US were not just her waiting at the airport or hotel, but for her to meet US officials and legislators. “If she has contact with US House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one-China principle, harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” she added, without elaborating on details of the measures that will be taken.
Taiwanese presidents frequently transit through the US while visiting diplomatic allies in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, which, while not official visits, are often utilized by both sides for high-level meetings. The US has argued that such transits by Taiwanese presidents are routine, and that China should not utilize Tsai’s trip to make any aggressive moves against Taiwan.
