The President of Taiwan in a historic meeting in California

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen hailed the strong relationship between the United States and Taiwan after their historic meeting in California.

The meeting strongly provoked China and requested in advance that the United States refuse to stop President Tsai on his way from Central America to Taiwan. It was flatly refused.

Wednesday’s meeting thus became the first known meeting between a House of Representatives leader and a Taiwanese president on US soil since the United States severed formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979.

– A strong bond

Rival pro-Beijing and Taipei protesters were also present.

– I think our bond is stronger now than it has ever been in my life. Of course, President Tsai is a great champion of that,” McCarthy said after the meeting, according to Reuters.

Tsai thanked Congress for standing with Taiwan because democracy is threatened, and said she quoted former US President Ronald Reagan when she spoke to McCarthy and other elected officials of her belief that “to keep the peace, we must be strong”.

The Chair said – I would like to add that we are stronger when we stand together.

thanks for the support

When McCarthy welcomed Tsai, he asserted that US elected officials’ support for self-ruled Taiwan was growing in line with the tension with China.

Taiwan is in fact fully autonomous, but China still insists that the island be subordinate to Beijing and has threatened to invade the island if Taiwan officially declares independence.

After the meeting, Tsai said the US support “reassures the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated, nor are we alone.” She went on to say that she reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to the status quo of peace.

Condemns the meeting

China condemns the meeting between the two countries.

— In response to the seriously flawed cooperation between the United States and Taiwan, China should implement resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, said a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Soon after, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense stated that it had spotted one aircraft and three ships of the People’s Liberation Army around Taiwan.

Civil war

China and Taiwan have been separated since 1949, when the Communists won the Chinese Civil War and seized power on the mainland. The defeated nationalists took refuge on the island of Taiwan.

The United States recognized in 1979 that Taiwan is part of “one China” and that the government in Beijing represents the whole of China. The same thing Norway and the United Nations do. Diplomatic relations with Taiwan are conducted through unofficial channels.