US Speaker McCarthy meets Taiwan’s Tsai despite China pressure

United States House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in his home state of California, a historic visit that has already drawn condemnation from China, which claims self-governed democracy is its own.

The two leaders sat down together at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, about 55 kilometers (34 mi) from Los Angeles.

The closed-door meeting makes McCarthy the most senior official a Taiwanese president has met on US soil since 1979, the year Washington established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.

McCarthy called Tsai “a great friend of America” ​​and added, “I am optimistic that we will continue to find ways for the people of America and Taiwan to work together to promote economic freedom, democracy, peace and stability.”

Tsai thanked McCarthy for his hospitality, calling it warm as the California sun, and also thanked the rest of the congressional delegation, saying, “I’m so happy.”

Beijing had already criticized Tsai’s stopovers in the US as part of a visit to diplomatic allies Guatemala and Belize and has been quick to condemn the meeting between McCarthy and Tsai, which it deems a “separatist” bent on advancing independence. to secure Taiwan.

“In response to the flagrant wrongdoing of the United States and Taiwan, China will take strong and determined measures to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the State Department said in a statement released Thursday in Beijing. The defense ministry said China’s military would be on “high alert”.

‘Stronger together’

A bipartisan group of politicians attended the meeting, according to a statement released by McCarthy’s office leading up to the visit. A small crowd, some pro-Taiwan and some pro-China, also gathered outside the library.

At a press conference later in the afternoon, McCarthy reaffirmed his support for continuing dialogue with Taiwan.

“The friendship between the people of Taiwan and America is of great importance to the free world, and it is critical to maintain economic freedom, peace and regional stability,” he said.

Tsai spoke after McCarthy, thanking him and other US congressional leaders for meeting her.

“Their presence and unwavering support reassure the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated and not alone,” Tsai said, later adding, “We are stronger when we are together.”

Acknowledging the meeting’s setting at the Reagan Presidential Library, she quoted the former Republican president as saying freedom should be actively defended.

“It’s no secret that the peace we’ve kept and the democracy we’ve worked hard to build face unprecedented challenges today,” Tsai said. “We are once again in a world where democracy is under threat. And the urgency to shine the beacon of freedom cannot be underestimated.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called Tsai’s transit across the US “normal”, noting that she has made six similar stopovers in recent years.

“Beijing should not use the transit as an excuse to take action to increase tensions, to further change the status quo,” Blinken said at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.

A spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglian, had previously warned that Beijing “will decisively fight back” should McCarthy and Tsai meet.

At a news conference on Wednesday, White House spokesman Karine Jean-Pierre stressed that Tsai’s transit was part of “a long tradition” of Taiwanese leaders passing through the US.

But she reiterated Blinken’s message that the stopover should not be “a pretext for overreacting”.

“Our communication channels are open,” said Jean-Pierre. “And we’ve had a consistent message urging restraint. And in recent days, we have directly informed the high-level Chinese that escalation is inappropriate. And so we will continue to keep those channels of conversation open.

The meeting comes at the end of a trip Tsai made to Central America to rally support in Belize and Guatemala, two of Taiwan’s 13 remaining diplomatic allies.

But her travels took her through New York late last month. Her “transit” through California on Wednesday is part of her return trip to Taiwan.

However, the unofficial US stoppages have prompted a strong response from China, which considers Taiwan an inalienable part of its territory and therefore opposes any state-to-state relationship with the island.

On Monday, the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles reiterated that the meeting with McCarthy would “destabilize the political foundations of China-US relations” and “damage the national feelings of 1.4 billion Chinese.”

The US maintains no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, instead following an unofficial policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding Taiwan and issues of its sovereignty.

And while Washington “recognizes” Beijing’s “one China” policy, it rejects any use of force to settle the dispute over Taiwan’s independence. It is also the island’s main international supporter and military financier.

For his part, McCarthy, a Republican, has been outspoken in his opposition to the Chinese leadership. In December, he contributed to a Fox News editorial stating that “the greatest threat to the United States is the Chinese Communist Party.”

He has been a strong advocate of “assisting Taiwan in its self-defense” against China’s “aggression”, even proposing a visit to Taiwan after being elected Speaker of the House of Representatives.

That position makes him the third-highest-ranking politician in the U.S. government.

On Wednesday, in response to reporters’ questions, McCarthy hit back at the prospect of visiting Taiwan, saying, “I don’t have any plans right now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be going.”

However, China has repeatedly warned against meetings between US and Taiwan leaders.

When former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi made a trip to the island last August to meet Tsai, China responded with war games around the island, including launching missiles over Taiwan.

However, the White House has repeatedly tried to downplay the importance of Tsai’s stops in the US.

Her transit in New York last week included a speech at the Hudson Institute think tank, as well as meetings with Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and members of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, including Jodi Ernst, Dan Sullivan and Mark Kelly .

In a press conference following Tsai’s departure on Wednesday, McCarthy outlined “critical ways” he hoped to strengthen US “ties” with Taiwan.

“Based on our conversations, it’s clear that several actions are needed,” McCarthy said.

“First, we must continue arms sales to Taiwan and ensure that such sales reach Taiwan in a very timely manner. Secondly, we need to strengthen our economic cooperation, especially in trade and technology. Third, we must continue to promote our shared values ​​on the global stage.”

McCarthy also warned that “tensions in this world have reached their highest point since the end of the Cold War, as authoritarian leaders seek to use violence and fear to provoke unnecessary conflict.”

But he dismissed concerns that Wednesday’s meeting would escalate tensions with China and said there was no need for retaliation.

California Representative Pete Aguilar, the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, reiterated McCarthy’s calls for peace and democracy. Aguilar added that the US welcomes competition with China, but not conflict.

“It is important for us to put aside partisanship and work together to advance our common interests and the interests of the free world,” he said.

Aguilar described the US relationship with Taiwan as “rooted in the pillars of stability, shared economic interests and democracy”.

“I have told President Tsai that the House Democrats will never give up on this relationship and will work hand-in-hand with the Biden administration to reaffirm our commitment because we understand the unique role and vital role Taiwan plays in the region,” he said. he.