Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in New York on Wednesday on a stopover, her first since 2019, amid China's warnings against her meeting US House speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Tsai is on a 10-day visit to Central American countries of Guatemala and Belize, two of the 13 nations to diplomatically recognise Taiwan. She will be in New York till Saturday and is also likely visit Los Angeles on her return journey.
Taiwan's de facto embassy in the U.S. confirmed her arrival, but added that none of her events were open to press. However, videos showed her being greeted in the city by flag-waving supporters.
Though there are speculations that Tsai would meet McCarthy, there is no official confirmation yet, reported Reuters. However, McCarthy has said he would meet with Tsai when she is in the US and has not ruled out the possibility of traveling to Taiwan in a show of support.
This comes as Beijing threatened resolute countermeasures if the meeting is ever to happen. Hours before Tsai embarking on the trip, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office warned that the violation of the one-China principle would have repurcursions.
"If she contacts US House speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one-China principle, harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," Zhu Fenglian, the office’s spokesperson, told reporters. "We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back."
However, Tsai hinted that the trip reflected her island's commitment to democratic values on the world stage. "I want to tell the whole world democratic Taiwan will resolutely safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, and will continue to be a force for good in the world, continuing a cycle of goodness, strengthening the resilience of democracy in the world, " Tsai added.
The President told reporters that external pressure will not obstruct our resolution to engage with the world.
Meanwhile, the US has reacted to Chinese threats, stating that it "sees no reason for China to overreact" to Taiwanese President's stopover. It said the visit was consistent with long-standing practice and the U.S. one-China policy that recognizes Beijing diplomatically, not Taipei.
Under the One China policy, the US acknowledges Beijing's view that it has sovereignty over Taiwan, but considers Taiwan's status as unsettled. Taipei is an important partner for Washington in the Indo-Pacific.
Last August, the then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, irking China. Beijing reacted furiously by launching missiles over the area, deployed warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and carried out military exercises in a simulated blockade of the island. Beijing also suspended climate talks with the US and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon.
