Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen arrived at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley on a chilly Wednesday morning, April 5, for a historic meeting with U.S. Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“The friendship between America and the people of Taiwan has never been stronger,” McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, said in a tweet. “It is my honor to welcome President (Tsai) to the (Reagan Library).”
Tsai’s visit with McCarthy comes during a stopover on her way home after visits to Belize and Guatemala.
President Tsai Ing-wen is greeted by @SpeakerMcCarthy upon her arrival. pic.twitter.com/OGVkDcW7qN
— Hanna Kang (@byhannakang) April 5, 2023
She arrived amid countering demonstrators, some holding Taiwan flags and banners while others waved Chinese flags.
China views interactions between U.S. and Taiwanese officials as a challenge to its claim to the island as its territory. The United States broke off official ties with Taiwan in 1979, while formally establishing diplomatic relations with the Beijing government.
A representative for the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles condemned the planned meeting, saying the Chinese government is the “sole legal government representing the whole of China,” and Taiwan is “an inalienable part of China’s territory.”
A plane with a banner reading, “One China! Taiwan is part of China!” in red lettering circled the presidential library while a large crowd of local, national and international media congregated outside and the Taiwanese president and McCarthy were inside.
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, last year, visited Taiwan. In an opinion piece published around the time of her visit, she said: “We must stand with Taiwan.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day.
City News Service and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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