China warns Taiwan President against meeting US House Speaker during visit to Central America

Taipei [Taiwan], March 30 (ANI): As Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday embarked on a 10-day visit to Central America, which will include transit in the United States, China has warned the Taiwanese President against meeting US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the US side keeps conniving to support the separatist forces of Taiwan independence and asked Washington to stop committing “dangerous acts that underline the political foundation of the two countries’ relations.”

As she departed on a diplomatic mission to Central America, Tsai Ing-wen said that Taiwan has every right to “connect with the world,” CNN reported.

Ahead of Tsai’s departure, China hit out against the trip pledging on Wednesday to “resolutely fight back” if the Taiwanese President met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a move Beijing would consider a violation of its sovereignty.

China also criticized the US as Tsai Ing-wen was en-route with the Chinese Foreign Ministry urging Washington to stop committing “dangerous acts that underline the political foundation of the two countries’ relations.”

“It is not the Chinese side that overreacts, but the US side that keeps conniving to support the separatist forces of Taiwan independence,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said as per the CNN report.

Tsai Ing-wen departed from Taiwan on Wednesday for a 10-day trip, which will include stopovers in New York City and Los Angeles on either side of official visits to Guatemala and Belize, according to CNN.

“External pressure won’t stop our determination from moving toward international society,” Tsai Ing-wen told reporters before taking off.

“We’re calm, confident, uncompromising and unprovocative,” Tsai further said.

The trip has gained attention after reports claimed that Tsai Ing-wen will meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during one of her unofficial stopovers in the US, as per the CNN report. Taiwan is yet to confirm the meeting between the two leaders. In March, McCarthy said he would meet Tsai while she was in the US. However, he did not mention any date.

After her New York City stopover, the Taiwanese President is expected to visit Guatemala on April 1 and Belize on April 3. She will transit in Los Angeles before she travels back to Taiwan on April 7, CNN reported citing Taiwan’s Presidential Office, as per the news report.

Last year, China fired multiple missiles and launched military drills around Taiwan after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. Her visit also strained the bilateral ties between US and China. (ANI)