President Tsai proclaims US-Taiwan cooperation in New York, China warns of fightback to Tsai’s visit.
The President of Taiwan arrived in New York on Wednesday, prior to her visit to Central America. President Tsai spoke about Taiwan-US relations to her supporters during the New York stopover, saying that they are “closer than ever.” On her return journey President Tsai is set to stop in Los Angeles, where she is expected to meet Kevin McCarthy, the US House Speaker. China has warned that this interaction might lead to a “serious confrontation” between the US and China.
This visit by President Tsai is during a time when US-China relations are close to their worst levels according to analysts; the US normalised ties with China in 1979 and diplomatic recognition was switched from Taiwan. Under the One China policy, Beijing has claimed Taipei as a Chinese province and says that Taipei has no right to state-to-state ties. This has long been disputed by Taiwan.
The New York stopover
This US stopover is the first for President Tsai since 2019. On Wednesday, during a closed door speech to the Taiwanese in New York, Tsai praised the economic and security achievements alongside the diplomatic ones. The statement by her office called the island a “beacon of democracy in Asia.” The ties between Washington and Taipei were also mentioned and said to be “closer than ever.” The progress in economic and security cooperation has also been significant.
Tsai also said that despite having to face enormous challenges, Taiwan would not be isolated. She subsequently thanked the US government for implementing security agreements, which include the nine arms sales by the Biden administration. Laura Rosenberger also attended the event. The Washington headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) is chaired by her. The AIT is a non-profit organization run by the US government that is tasked with carrying out unofficial relations with Taipei.
No action by China
In the daily update by the defence ministry of Taiwan with respect to China’s military activities, from Wednesday to Thursday morning, no Chinese aircrafts have been spotted entering the air defence zone or crossing the median line of the Taiwan state. This lack of action is a surprise compared to the Taipei visit of Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, which prompted China to stage major military drills.
China’s air force breaches the defence zone of Taiwan almost daily in what has been termed “grey zone warfare.” According to senior security officials, less severe reactions from China are expected. President Tsai will be meeting in the US; thus, the complexity level of the politics is not that high, according to Taiwan’s National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen.
The White House had also urged Beijing against using the President’s visit during a normal stopover as a reason for increasing aggressive activity against Taipei. Reports from the White House also report that there has been no tangible reaction from China.
The McCarthy meeting
The meeting with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is set to happen in Los Angeles during the return trip of President Tsai. This would be the first meeting between a Taiwanese leader and a US House Speaker in the US. McCarthy is third on the hierarchy or leadership succession in the US; due to this, China has issued warnings against this meeting, stating that it would “take measures to resolutely fight back.”
The statement by the charge d’affaires at China’s Washington embassy, Xu Xueyuan, estimates that such a meeting could lead to a serious US-China confrontation. Despite only maintaining unofficial relations with Taipei, like most countries, US law makes it mandatory to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
