Taiwan leader’s arrival in US risk ‘serious confrontation’ with China
Taiwan’s President, Tsai Ing-wen, has arrived in New York to criticism from China, which warned the US of serious repercussions.
Ms Ing-wen is transiting through the US on her way to Central America, but she may meet with US House Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, on her return leg.
China has condemned any such meeting – and says if it goes ahead, it could lead to a “serious confrontation”.
In response, the US has said Beijing should not overreact to Ms Ing-wen’s trip.
The US hopes to see a “normal, uneventful transit”, the White House’s national security spokesperson, John Kirby, said on Wednesday, noting that this is Ms Ing-wen’s seventh transit through the US during her time as Taiwan’s leader.
“This is a common occurrence…Other presidents of Taiwan have transited the United States. Nothing unusual about this,” he said in a press briefing. This will be the 29th US transit by a sitting president in Taiwan since the first in 1994.
Ms Ing-wen flew into New York on Wednesday, where she was greeted by competing crowds of protesters and supporters outside her hotel.
She is due to fly to Guatemala and Belize this week in a visit to shore up alliances in Central America, before returning through Los Angeles, where a meeting with the senior US political leader could take place, US outlets have reported.
In response to her arrival in the US, China’s senior envoy in Washington accused the US of advocating for Taiwan’s independence by allowing Ms Ing-wen to “make a splash” in their country.
“No matter [whether] it is Taiwan leaders coming to the United States or the US. Leaders visiting Taiwan could lead to another serious, serious, serious confrontation in the China-US relationship,” said Xu Xueyuan, China’s Chargé d’Affaires in a press conference.
“By allowing Ms Ing-wen in the US, Washington “seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Ms Xu said.”We urge the US side not to repeat playing with fire on the Taiwan question,” she said. —BBC
