Beijing, March 30. China today condemned the United States preparing a stopover on its territory for the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, who stopped in New York in the last few hours on her way to Central America.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told the department’s daily press conference Beijing’s “strong condemnation” of Washington for “making preparations” for the Tsai scale, “ignoring warnings” from China.
The president arrived in New York in the last few hours, where she will remain for two days before leaving for Guatemala and Belize, two of Taiwan’s thirteen diplomatic allies.
For the spokeswoman, the event represents “a collusion” between Taipei and Washington so that Tsai “participates in political activities in the United States under the pretext of a ‘scale’.”
Mao accused the North American country of “seriously violating the ‘one China’ principle” and called for Washington to stop “any form of official relations or exchanges with Taiwan.”
“China will continue to closely follow events and will resolutely defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” warned the spokeswoman, who recalled that the “Taiwan question” is the “first red line that must not be crossed” in relations between both powers.
The US reiterated this Wednesday that Tsai’s passage through its territory is only a “stopover” on his trip to Central America and asked China “not to exaggerate” on this matter.
Beijing warned of consequences if the Taiwanese president meets with the speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Kevin McCarthy, during her stay in the United States, a meeting initially scheduled for April 5 during a second stop on her return from Central America, this time in Los Angeles.
In August 2022, the visit to the island of the then president of the US Lower House, the Democrat Nancy Pelosi, enraged Beijing, which described it as a “deplorable treason” and carried out unprecedented military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait.
China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which it views as a rogue province since Kuomintang nationalists withdrew there in 1949 after losing the civil war against the communists. EFE
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