BEIJING/WASHINGTON – China threatened to retaliate on Wednesday if US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen during her planned transit of the United States in May, saying any such move would be a “provocation”.
China, which claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned US officials not to meet Ms Tsai, viewing it as support for the island’s desire to be seen as a separate country.
China staged war games around Taiwan in August 2022 when then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, and Taiwan’s armed forces have said they are keeping watch for any Chinese moves when Ms Tsai is abroad.
Ms Tsai is going to Guatemala and Belize, transiting through New York and Los Angeles on the way back. While not officially confirmed, she is expected to meet Mr McCarthy while in California.
Speaking in Beijing shortly before Ms Tsai left, Ms Zhu Fenglian, a spokesman of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Ms Tsai’s “transits” of the US were not just her waiting at the airport or hotel, but for her to meet US officials and lawmakers.
“If she contacts 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 said.
“We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back,” Ms Zhu added, without giving details.
Ms Tsai’s transits will come at a time when US relations with China are at what some analysts see as their worst level since Washington normalised ties with Beijing in 1979 and switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei.
Taiwan is China’s most sensitive territorial issue and a major bone of contention with Washington, which, like most countries, maintains only unofficial ties with Taipei.
However, the US government is required by US law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
No reason to overreact
The US says such transits by Taiwanese presidents are routine and that China should not use Ms Tsai’s trip to take any aggressive moves against Taiwan.
The US sees no reason for China to overreact to planned transits of the US this week and next month by Taiwan’s president, senior US officials said ahead of Ms Tsai’s departure.
A senior US official said that in her previous transits, Ms Tsai had engaged in a range of activities, including meetings with members of Congress, the Taiwanese diaspora and other groups.
“So, there is absolutely no reason for Beijing to use this upcoming transit as an excuse or a pretext to carry out aggressive or coercive activities aimed at Taiwan,” the official said.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vd29ybGQvdW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy9jaGluYS10aHJlYXRlbnMtcmVzcG9uc2UtaWYtdXMtaG91c2Utc3BlYWtlci1tZWV0cy10YWl3YW4tcHJlc2lkZW500gEA?oc=5
2023-03-29 11:52:06Z
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