Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) spoke to reporters following a meeting with Tsai at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Los Angeles, which was attended by more than a dozen Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
The Speaker said the bipartisan delegation underscored congressional unity in supporting Taiwan’s ability to defend its democratic government against threats from the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing to overtake the island.
“I felt our meeting today provided a greater peace and stability for the world. America’s support for the people of Taiwan will remain resolute, unwavering and bipartisan,” the Speaker said, adding that his message to Beijing is that “there’s no need for retaliation.”
Chinese officials have blasted McCarthy’s meeting with Tsai, warning of countermeasures and consequences. Its embassy in Washington sent an email to lawmakers warning that such meetings signal a “serious political provocations.”
China has also responded angrily to reports that McCarthy is planning to visit Taiwan, like his predecessor former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) did last year.
McCarthy said Wednesday that he has no plans to travel to Taiwan, but said he would not be intimidated from making the trip.
“That doesn’t mean I will not go,” he said. “I am the Speaker of the House. There is no place that China is going to tell me where I can go or who I can speak to, whether you be foe or whether you be friend.”
Tsai visited Los Angeles from Tuesday to Wednesday in what is being described as a “transit” for the Taiwanese leader back to Taiwan and from official diplomatic summits in Guatemala and Belize.
The careful language provides a thin cover for Tsai to hold senior meetings with U.S. officials without appearing to violate the principles of Washington’s unofficial relations with Taiwan.
Speaking alongside McCarthy after their meeting, Tsai said “to preserve peace, we must be strong,” and “we are stronger when we are together,” according to Reuters.
Read more at TheHill.com.
