Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen embarked on a tour of two Central American countries via the United States on the 29th, despite stern warnings from China.
President Tsai began her 9-night, 10-day visit to Guatemala and Belize, countries with diplomatic ties to Taiwan, under the theme "Partners in Democracy, Journey of Shared Prosperity."
Before departure at Taoyuan International Airport, she stated, "We want to demonstrate our determination to deepen exchanges and cooperation with our allies, and at the same time clearly convey three messages. Taiwan will steadfastly follow the path of freedom and democracy to engage with the world. Although this path is difficult, Taiwan is not alone," emphasizing her resolve.
The international community's attention focused on President Tsai's stopover in the United States. After completing her visits in Guatemala and Belize, she is scheduled to stop in Los Angeles (LA) on her return on the 5th of next month, where she will deliver a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and meet with Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the third highest-ranking official in the country. Taiwanese media reported that Mike Gallagher, chairman of the U.S.-China Strategic Competition Subcommittee, may also attend the event.
President Tsai's tour appears aimed at leveraging close ties with the United States to counter China while boosting support for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ahead of the presidential election in January.
In response, China issued a strong warning just before President Tsai's departure, referencing her planned meeting with Speaker McCarthy. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a regular briefing, "If she contacts Speaker McCarthy, it will be a serious violation of the 'One China' principle, undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and another provocation that damages peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We firmly oppose this and will take resolute countermeasures."
Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also urged the U.S. to cease all official exchanges with Taiwan during a regular briefing, emphasizing, "China is closely monitoring the situation and will resolutely and forcefully safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Previously, when then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August last year, China responded with high-intensity military exercises encircling Taiwan as a show of force.
However, the U.S. dismissed President Tsai's visit as a routine diplomatic practice and criticized China for overreacting. According to AFP, a senior U.S. government official stated, "President Tsai has previously engaged in various activities during her U.S. stopovers, including meetings with members of Congress and Taiwanese Americans. There is absolutely no reason for China to use her U.S. transit as a pretext for aggressive or coercive actions against Taiwan."
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