Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has commended her successor Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) historic meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in California in a rare sign of support.
McCarthy introduced Tsai as a “great friend of America” as he hosted her at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley along with more than a dozen lawmakers from both parties during Wednesday’s rare high-level visit.
The meeting—the first of its kind on American soil—risked further exacerbating tensions with China, which had earlier threatened retaliation if Tsai and McCarthy or other senior U.S. figures were to meet.
Despite those threats, McCarthy vowed to speed up arms deliveries to Taiwan in the face of increasing threats from Beijing and bolster economic cooperation with the self-ruled island, particularly when it comes to trade and technology.
Pelosi, who appeared to have a strained relationship with McCarthy during her time as speaker when the Republican was a minority leader, praised her successor’s leadership following the high-profile gathering.
“Today’s meeting between President Tsai of Taiwan and Speaker McCarthy is to be commended for its leadership, its bipartisan participation, and its distinguished and historic venue,” Pelosi said in a brief statement.
Pelosi visited Taiwan in August last year despite warnings from China—which views Taiwan as part of its territory that must be united with the mainland—not to do so.
China Condemns Meeting
Beijing viewed the visit as Washington showing support for Taiwan’s desire to be seen as a separate country and swiftly began staging military drills around Taiwan, launching multiple missiles and extensive military patrols.It also suspended planned climate talks with the United States and restricted military-to-military communication with the Pentagon. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have been further strained since Pelosi’s visit following the downing of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the United States.
In a lengthy statement on Thursday, China’s foreign ministry condemned this week’s meeting, branding it an “erroneous act of collusion” and a “disregard of China’s serious representations and repeated warnings.”
“Other US officials and lawmakers also had contact with Tsai and provided the platform for her separatist rhetoric for ‘Taiwan independence’. This is essentially the United States acting with Taiwan to connive at ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists’ political activities in the United States, conduct official contact with Taiwan and upgrade the substantive relations with Taiwan, and frame it as a ’transit',” the ministry said.
“This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués. It seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and sends an egregiously wrong signal to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it,” the statement read.
McCaul Leads Delegation in Taiwan
Despite China’s warnings of consequences, House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) announced on Wednesday that he and a bipartisan delegation of lawmakers are set to meet with Taiwanese business leaders, as well as senior Taiwanese officials in Taipei this week.The group will “discuss ways the U.S. can strengthen our economic and defense relationship with Taiwan in the face of growing threats in the region,” McCaul said.
The Texas Republican is joined by Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), chairwoman of the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, and Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, as well as Rep. French Hill (R-Ariz.), Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), Rep. Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.), and Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) for the trip.
Following his meeting with Tsai, McCarthy told a press conference that “America’s support for the people of Taiwan will remain resolute, unwavering, and bipartisan,” adding that U.S.–Taiwan ties are stronger than at any other point in his life.
Tsai, meanwhile, said the “unwavering support reassures the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated.”
Prior to her meeting with McCarthy, the Taiwanese president met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) last week during her transit through New York City ahead of her 10-day trip to Guatemala and Belize.
Jeffries said in a statement on Wednesday that the two had a “very productive conversation about the mutual security and economic interests between America and Taiwan” and shared their “commitment to democracy and freedom.”
“I wish President Tsai a safe return as she transits through California and travels back to Taiwan,” he said.
