China vowed on Wednesday to “fight back” if Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meets with the US House speaker during a trip to the United States.
Tsai left on Wednesday for the United States, from where she will go to Guatemala and Belize to establish ties with diplomatic allies. On his way back to Taiwan, he will stop in California, where US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he will meet him.
China claims the democratic island as part of its territory to be reclaimed one day and, according to the “One China” principle, no country can maintain official relations with Beijing and Taipei.
Beijing warned Wednesday that it “remains opposed” to any meeting between Tsai and McCarthy and vowed to take “resolute countermeasures” if it goes ahead.
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“If (Tsai) joins US House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that violates the One China principle, undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” said Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian. .
Tsai’s trip follows Honduras’ decision this month to open diplomatic ties with Beijing, leaving Belize and Guatemala among only 13 countries with official ties to Taipei.
“External pressure will not hinder our determination to go global,” Tsai told reporters at the airport before departing. “We are calm and confident. We will not give up and we will not disturb (others).
– Call US to calm down –
After her first visit to New York, Tsai will meet with her Guatemalan counterpart Alejandro Giammattei and Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno in her country, her office said.
He will then stop in Los Angeles on his way home.
McCarthy said he would meet Tsai in California, although the talks have not been confirmed by Taiwanese authorities.
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A visit by McCarthy’s predecessor to Taiwan last year prompted an angry response from Beijing, with China’s military conducting exercises on an unprecedented scale across the island.
“There is no reason for China to use it as a pretext to overreact or to carry out more coercion directed at Taiwan,” a senior US administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity, adding that the visit did not indicate a change in US policy. .
Beijing’s foreign ministry said that Washington “blindly connives with and supports Taiwan independence and secessionist forces”.
Ministry spokesman Mao Ning urged the United States in a briefing on Wednesday to end any form of official exchanges with Taiwan and “end dangerous actions to undermine the political foundation of China-US relations”.
– Formal vs informal relationships –
Analysts say the US stopover comes at a crucial time, with Beijing increasing military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai came to power in 2016, seizing nine of its diplomatic allies.
“Beijing’s efforts to capture Taiwan’s diplomatic partners will lead to Taiwan developing closer ties with the United States,” said James Lee, a researcher on US-Taiwan relations at Academia Sinica.
The United States remains Taiwan’s most important ally – and its largest arms supplier – despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.
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“The loss of official ties with third countries will be offset by the deepening of Taiwan’s unofficial ties,” Lee said.
A recent visit by the Czech delegation and the German minister met with rebukes from Beijing.
One of Tsai’s most prominent domestic opponents, former president Ma Ying-jeou, was in China on Wednesday, the first trip by the former Taiwanese leader.
Ma spoke about the need for peace at the war memorial in Nanjing.
“Both sides should avoid war, seek peace,” Ma told Chinese media. “Because if there’s a war, there’s nothing to lose.”
– China vs Taiwan: the diplomatic battleground –
China is increasing its investment in Latin America, the site of a major diplomatic battle between Taipei and Beijing since the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war.
Taiwan accused China on Sunday of using “coercion and intimidation” to lure its ally after Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang formally launched ties in Beijing.
Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the region, switched because of economic necessity, Reina said earlier.
The move continues a trend in Latin America, with Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica all switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in recent years.
In addition to Guatemala and Belize, Taiwan still has formal relations with several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Paraguay and Haiti.