WASHINGTON: Republican US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Monday (Apr 3) he would meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday, a move China said would be a “provocation”.
“On Wednesday, Apr 5, Speaker Kevin McCarthy will be hosting a bipartisan meeting with the President of Taiwan at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library,” his office announced in a statement.
Tsai Ing-wen left Taiwan last week on a tour of the island’s diplomatic allies in the Americas, which she framed as a chance to demonstrate Taiwan’s commitment to democratic values on the world stage.
She is expected to stop in Los Angeles on her way back to Taiwan on Apr 5.
The spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Zhu Fenglian, denounced Tsai’s stopovers last week and demanded that no US officials meet with her.
“We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures,” Zhu said at a news conference then.