McCarthy had previously indicated that he would like to meet the president of Taiwan. But that is very sensitive in Beijing. The Chinese leadership rejects official contacts from other countries with Taiwan, as they consider the island to be part of the People’s Republic.
The previous Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, had met with Tsai Ing-wen in August 2022. Pelosi had previously traveled to Taiwan, which led to high tensions with Beijing. China responded to the visit with large-scale military exercises around the island.
McCarthy hopes to limit tensions by holding the meeting in his home state of California. The US State Department does not seem to be putting any obstacles in the way.
“Transit to the US by senior Taiwanese officials is consistent with long-standing US policy,” spokesperson Ned Price said. He recalls that President Tsai Ing-wen has visited the US six times since taking office in 2016.
McCarthy does not rule out a visit to Taiwan at a later date.
