Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York on Wednesday for a visit that provoked threats of Chinese retaliation if she meets with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and US warnings for Beijing to refrain from overreacting.
Content will continue after the ad
Advertising
Cai arrived in the United States en route to Central America, where she will meet with the leaders of Guatemala and Belize to expand relations with these diplomatic allies of Taiwan. On her way back to Taiwan, she will stop in the US state of California, where McCarthy is ready to meet her.
China considers Taiwan a part of its territory that it must someday regain. According to the “One China” principle, no country can maintain official relations with Beijing and Taipei at the same time.
Beijing warned on Wednesday that it was categorically opposed to any meeting between Cai and McCarthy and vowed to take “resolute countermeasures” if the meeting took place.
The US responded that China should not use Cai’s arrival in the US as a pretext for aggressive action in the Taiwan Strait.
Cai arrived at a New York hotel on Wednesday where dozens of pro-Beijing demonstrators gathered with Chinese flags, while a similar group of Taiwanese supporters waved Taiwanese and US flags nearby.
Xu Xueyuan, chargé d’affaires at the Chinese embassy in Washington, said she had spoken directly with US officials several times and warned that Cai’s trip violated China’s core interests.
“We call on the US side not to repeat playing with fire on the Taiwan issue,” Xu told reporters, recalling, among other things, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last year.
Cai’s trip follows Honduras’ decision this month to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing, severing ties with Taiwan. After this decision, only 13 countries have official relations with Taiwan, including Belize and Guatemala.
After visiting New York, Cai will meet with Guatemalan President Alejandro Hiammathea and Belizean Prime Minister John Briseno in their respective countries. On the way back to her homeland, she will stop in Los Angeles.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last year provoked anger in Beijing, and the Chinese military carried out unprecedented maneuvers around Taiwan.
