China has warned US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy not to hold a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as she makes her transit to the United States following a visit to Central America. Beijing said McCarthy should not repeat past mistakes as it would undermine regional peace and stability.
The Chinese consulate in Los Angeles, California, said on Tuesday that McCarthy, who is the third in line to the presidency, should not meet with Tsai in any capacity when she makes her stopover in California. The US has repeatedly said that such transits by Taiwanese leaders are normal and that China should not overreact. However, the consulate said it was “false” to claim such a stopover as a transit and that Tsai was engaging in official interactions to “put on a political show.”
The consulate said in a statement that regardless of what capacity McCarthy meets with Tsai, the meeting in itself would harm the feelings of the Chinese people and send a wrong signal to Taiwanese “separatists,” and affect the foundation of China-US ties. The consulate went on to accuse McCarthy of ignoring the “mistake” by his Democratic predecessor Nancy Pelosi, who visited the island last year, prompting increased military drills by China.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using military force to take control of the democratically governed island. Beijing has also opposed any visit of foreign governments to the island as well as any meetings between foreign governments and visiting Taiwanese officials.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry has since weighed in on Beijing’s reaction to the upcoming meeting between McCarthy and Tsai on Wednesday. The Taiwanese foreign ministry said China had no right to complain as Beijing has never ruled the island. The ministry went on to describe China’s criticism of Tsai’s trip, saying that it “has become increasingly absurd.”
McCarthy’s office recently confirmed that he would be holding a bipartisan meeting with Tsai when she stops over in California. The meeting will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 40 kilometers from the center of Los Angeles. The issue of Taiwan has strong bipartisan support in the divided US Congress, as the US views China as its top global rival.