US leader receives Taiwanese president despite China threats of retaliation | US News

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy received Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday for the first meeting between leaders of the two countries on US soil since 1979.

McCarthy met the Taiwanese leader at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California’s Simi Valley, despite warnings of retaliation from the Chinese government who claim the island as their territory.

At the meeting, the speaker praised the people of the island nation and celebrated the “bond” between the US and Taiwan and President Tsai, whom he called a “great supporter of that bond”.

“The friendship between the people of Taiwan and America is fundamental to the free world, and it is crucial to uphold economic freedom, peace and regional stability,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy also assured that the US will “deliver on our commitments and reaffirm our commitment to our common values.”

In her remarks, President Tsai thanked the speaker and the bipartisan congressmen who joined him at the California meeting. “Your presence and unwavering support reassures the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated and not alone,” she said.

Tsai also spoke about it increasing tensions with the People’s Republic of China in Beijing.

“It’s no secret that the peace we have preserved and the democracy we have worked hard to build face unprecedented challenges today,” the President said. “We find ourselves once again in a world where democracy is under threat.”

On the same day as the meeting, Taiwan’s defense ministry said it was monitoring a Chinese aircraft carrier group conducting training in the waters just southeast of the island nation.

China has not yet issued any official statements on the meetings, but the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles criticized the event as “not conducive to peace, security and stability in the region”.

“We will follow the evolution of the situation closely and resolutely uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the consulate said.

During the meeting, a small plane flew overhead and displayed a banner reading “ONE CHINA! TAIWAN BELONGS TO CHINA!’

The last time a Taiwanese official did so was before the US established formal ties with the People’s Republic of China in 1979. Since then, the two countries have maintained only informal diplomatic relations.

Last year, McCarthy’s Democratic predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, became the first American official to visit the island nation since 1979. During the visit the Chinese military staged war games on a beach off the coast of Taiwan.

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