China warned U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday not to “repeat disastrous past mistakes” by meeting Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, saying it would not help regional peace and stability, only unite the Chinese people against a common enemy.
The Republican McCarthy, the third-most-senior U.S. leader after the president and vice president, will host a meeting in California on Wednesday with Tsai, during a sensitive stopover in the United States that has prompted Chinese threats of retaliation.
China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, produced war games around the island last August after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, visited the capital, Taipei.
Tsai will make what is formally called a “transit” in Los Angeles on her way back to Taipei after a trip to Central America. The United States says such stopovers are common practice and there is no need for China to overreact. But China’s consulate in Los Angeles said it was “false” to declare it as a transit, adding that Tsai was engaging in official exchanges to “put on a political show”.
No matter in what capacity McCarthy meets Tsai, the gesture would greatly hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, send a seriously wrong signal to Taiwan separatist forces, and affect the political foundation of Sino-U.S. ties, it said in a statement.
It is not conducive to regional peace, security nor stability, and is not in the common interests of the people of China and the United States.
McCarthy is overlooking the lessons from the missteps of his predecessor, and is urging on playing the “Taiwan card”.
He will undoubtedly repeat disastrous past mistakes and further damage Sino-U.S. relations. It will only strengthen the Chinese people’s strong will and determination to share a common enemy and support national unity.”
the consulate added.
Speaking to reporters in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China will closely follow developments and resolutely and energetically defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, without providing details.
