(Trends Wide) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will meet Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, a historic event that comes amid warnings from China.
McCarthy’s office shared details of the meeting in a statement Monday morning, indicating that the California Republican will host a bipartisan meeting with Tsai at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. The bipartisan group will include Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, who is a member of the Democratic leadership, and the leaders of the select committee on China, among others, according to a copy of the guest list obtained by Trends Wide.
Taiwan’s official Central News Agency also reported Monday that Tsai would meet with McCarthy, citing the island’s presidential office.
The meeting has been long overdue and is all but guaranteed to shake up the tense US-China relationship, made even more tense after a Chinese spy balloon floated over North America and was later shot down by warplanes. American combat in February.
Trends Wide previously reported that Tsai is visiting Central America on a diplomatic mission that includes stops in the US China has vowed to “resolutely strike back” should a meeting between Tsai and McCarthy take place.
China’s ruling Communist Party claims autonomous island democracy as part of its territory even though it has never controlled it.
Under the “One China” policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized Beijing’s claim to the island. China’s leadership has refused to rule out the use of military force to bring the island under Beijing’s control.
The White House refuses to say whether it supports the planned meeting between McCarthy and Taiwan’s president.
“I would refer you to the office of the spokesperson and to the office of Chairwoman Tsai for details on a possible meeting,” Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Dalton said in response to a Trends Wide question aboard Air Force One on Monday.
After arriving in New York City last week, Tsai said Taiwan’s relationship with the United States has “never been so close.”
“We know we are stronger when we stand together in solidarity with other democracies. Taiwan cannot be isolated and we don’t take friendship for granted,” Tsai said at a banquet with members of the Taiwanese-American community, according to footage from Trends Wide affiliate SET TV in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s presidential office has so far refused to confirm Tsai’s possible US meetings to Trends Wide.
Last week, China’s charge d’affaires Xu Xueyuan told reporters that Tsai’s presence in the US could lead to a “serious” confrontation in the US-China relationship and have a ” severe impact” on their relationships.
McCarthy’s predecessor, Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan last year before her term as speaker ended, marking the first time a speaker of the US House of Representatives has visited Taiwan in 25 years. During her trip, Pelosi said the visit was intended to make it “unequivocally clear” that the United States would “not abandon” the democratically governed island.
That visit was met with strong resistance from China, and Beijing responded by launching extensive military exercises around the island.
— Trends Wide’s Melanie Zanona and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.
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(Trends Wide) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will meet Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, a historic event that comes amid warnings from China.
McCarthy’s office shared details of the meeting in a statement Monday morning, indicating that the California Republican will host a bipartisan meeting with Tsai at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. The bipartisan group will include Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, who is a member of the Democratic leadership, and the leaders of the select committee on China, among others, according to a copy of the guest list obtained by Trends Wide.
Taiwan’s official Central News Agency also reported Monday that Tsai would meet with McCarthy, citing the island’s presidential office.
The meeting has been long overdue and is all but guaranteed to shake up the tense US-China relationship, made even more tense after a Chinese spy balloon floated over North America and was later shot down by warplanes. American combat in February.
Trends Wide previously reported that Tsai is visiting Central America on a diplomatic mission that includes stops in the US China has vowed to “resolutely strike back” should a meeting between Tsai and McCarthy take place.
China’s ruling Communist Party claims autonomous island democracy as part of its territory even though it has never controlled it.
Under the “One China” policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized Beijing’s claim to the island. China’s leadership has refused to rule out the use of military force to bring the island under Beijing’s control.
The White House refuses to say whether it supports the planned meeting between McCarthy and Taiwan’s president.
“I would refer you to the office of the spokesperson and to the office of Chairwoman Tsai for details on a possible meeting,” Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Dalton said in response to a Trends Wide question aboard Air Force One on Monday.
After arriving in New York City last week, Tsai said Taiwan’s relationship with the United States has “never been so close.”
“We know we are stronger when we stand together in solidarity with other democracies. Taiwan cannot be isolated and we don’t take friendship for granted,” Tsai said at a banquet with members of the Taiwanese-American community, according to footage from Trends Wide affiliate SET TV in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s presidential office has so far refused to confirm Tsai’s possible US meetings to Trends Wide.
Last week, China’s charge d’affaires Xu Xueyuan told reporters that Tsai’s presence in the US could lead to a “serious” confrontation in the US-China relationship and have a ” severe impact” on their relationships.
McCarthy’s predecessor, Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan last year before her term as speaker ended, marking the first time a speaker of the US House of Representatives has visited Taiwan in 25 years. During her trip, Pelosi said the visit was intended to make it “unequivocally clear” that the United States would “not abandon” the democratically governed island.
That visit was met with strong resistance from China, and Beijing responded by launching extensive military exercises around the island.
— Trends Wide’s Melanie Zanona and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.
