The Chinese Foreign Ministry warned today that it would retaliate if Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during her planned “departure” from the US, citing an American “provocation.”

Ms. Tsai is expected to leave on official visits to Guatemala and Belize today, with stops in New York and Los Angeles.

According to converging sources, a meeting between Ms. Tsai and Mr. McCarthy is planned in California, but this has not been officially confirmed.

“If he contacts Speaker of the US House of Representatives McCarthy, it will be another provocation that will flagrantly violate the principle of one China, undermine China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroy peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Chinese administration spokesman Zhu said. FEGLIAN. The agency in charge of Taiwan affairs said during a press conference.

“We strongly oppose this and will definitely take action,” he added.

Earlier this month, Mr. McCarthy effectively confirmed his intention to see Ms. Tsai in his home state while avoiding a visit to Taipei, which could further escalate already high tensions with China.

He expressed his intention to travel to Taiwan, as his Democratic predecessor Nancy Pelosi did in August 2022, prompting Beijing to build unprecedented military gyms around the island.

China opposes any official political or military contact between foreign governments and authorities on the island, which it considers a breakaway province.

Washington is Taiwan’s main protectorate, although it officially recognizes the government in Beijing as China’s sole legitimate representative under the “one China” policy.

Pelosi’s visit “pissed off” Beijing

The decision by Nancy Pelosi – of the Democratic Party – to visit Taiwan last summer provoked a strong reaction not only from Beijing (which considers Taiwan “Chinese territory” and claims its de facto sovereignty), but also from Republican congressmen in the United States. .

The first result of the visit of the speaker of the US House of Representatives was the military encirclement of Taiwan. Hours after Pelosi’s departure, China began an unprecedented military exercise around Taiwan that consisted of a complete air and sea blockade and was accompanied by ballistic missile launches.

The zones were chosen for their ability to exclude potential Western interference. In a recent speech, Chinese Major General Meng Xiangping explained that one of the zones covers the narrowest part of the Taiwan Strait, while others can be used to blockade a major port and strike at the country’s three most important military airfields. “The Kaohsiung Zone creates the right conditions for a successful invasion. I must emphasize that although these are exercises, they can turn into real battles at any moment, ”said Lieutenant General Meng.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said he hopes to reunite Taiwan with China peacefully. However, like his predecessor, Xi has not ruled out the use of force, while senior Chinese military officials say an invasion is becoming more likely, albeit risky.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.