On Wednesday, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen traveled to New York for a crucial stopover in the United States. After China threatened to retaliate if she met with American officials, she vowed on the way there that the island would not allow external pressure to prevent it from engaging with the rest of the world. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.
Tsai is visiting the United States for the first time since 2019, and China has repeatedly warned American officials not to meet her because doing so would be seen as supporting Taiwan’s desire to be recognized as a separate country. China staged significant war drills around Taiwan in August when then-U.S. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, went to Taiwan. When Tsai is away, according to Taiwan’s armed forces, they will be on the lookout for any Chinese movements.
Tsai is traveling to Guatemala and Belize, two of the few nations that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. On her way back from Central America, she will visit Los Angeles in addition to staying in New York until Saturday. Despite there being no formal confirmation, it is anticipated that she will meet McCarthy in California.
Tsai’s arrival in New York on Wednesday afternoon was announced by Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the country, which also noted that none of her engagements during her sojourn there will be accessible to the public or the media. Videos showed her being met by supporters waving flags as she entered the city.
China’s most contentious territorial problem in Taiwan, which is a major point of concern with Washington, which, like most nations, only has informal connections with Taipei. But, U.S. law requires the government to give the island the means to defend itself, and it also makes it easier for unofficial stopover visits.
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