Tsai Ing-wen plans to visit allies in Central America at the end of the month, making two unofficial stops in the US.
the office of Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has revealed that he will make unofficial stops in the United States as he travels to visit two Central American alliesGuatemala and Belize.
But after Tuesday’s announcement, the administration of US President Joe Biden has tried to underline the “personal” nature of the shutdowns, in an attempt to prevent an escalation tensions with china.
“These are called transits,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said of the stops planned by the United States. “Not uncommon. President Tsai has done it six times. Every president of Taiwan in recent memory has done this.”
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Kirby dismissed questions that the administration might be trying to downplay any visit. “It’s not about downplaying it. It’s about being factual,” she told reporters.
The US, like the vast majority of the world, has no official relations with Taiwan, in favor of maintaining diplomatic ties with China, which considers the island part of its territory.
China opposes state-to-state relations between the autonomous island and other nations, and earlier this month Honduras said it likely break their diplomatic ties with Taiwan for forge a relationship with china
If that happens, the number of official diplomatic allies Taiwan has would drop to 13.
However, China has criticized United States to keep unofficial relations with the island, even through the sale of military weapons And equipment.
On Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned President Tsai’s planned trip and warned that it disapproved of any contact between the US and Taiwan governments.
“We again warn the Taiwan authorities that there is no way out for Taiwan’s independence, and any illusions about attempts to collude with external forces to seek independence and provocation are doomed to fail,” spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
He also criticized Germany for its visit of the minister of education to Taiwan this week, calling the trip a display of “vile conduct.” Germany, like the United States, has no formal relations with Taiwan and refuted claims that the visit had violated the “one China” principle.
In an attempt to assuage diplomatic concerns, the Biden administration stressed Tuesday that Speaker Tsai’s stops in the US would be “unofficial” and “business as usual.”
“There is no reason for China to overreact,” Kirby told reporters. “Hell, there’s no reason for them to react. This is something that, as I said, is commonplace.”
But news of Tsai’s stops in the US has raised speculation that she intends to meet with Speaker Kevin McCarthyhe republican leader in the US House of Representatives
McCarthy was rumored to be planning a visit to Taiwan, echoing a similar trip taken by the previous president of the Chamber, Democrat Nancy Pelosi. Her brief appearance last August, along with five other members of the Democratic Party, made her the highest ranking US official to visit the island since 1997.
but also sparked outrage of China, which proceeded to carry out military exercises around the island even launching missiles off its shores.
Tsai’s visit to the US could provide McCarthy with an alternative to an equally sensitive trip to Taiwan. But when pressed about the prospect of a meeting between the two officials, Taiwan’s Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Yui declined to confirm any plans, saying details would be revealed at a later date.
Tsai is scheduled to be in New York on March 30 en route to Central America, according to her spokesperson Lin Yu-chan. He is also expected to make his return trip via Los Angeles on April 5, in McCarthy’s home state of California.
