U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday, defying threats from China attempting to pressure and internationally isolate the island from the Chinese Communist Party rule.
McCarthy hosted a bipartisan meeting with Tsai at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library out of Los Angeles with dozens of lawmakers, including the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party chair and ranking members Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).
During a joint press conference with Tsai, the House speaker said he believes U.S.-Taiwan relations are stronger than ever. However, as tensions worldwide have reached their highest point since the end of the Cold War, McCarthy condemned authoritarian leaders for provoking needless conflicts with violence and fear.
“I am the speaker of the House,” McCarthy told reporters, according to The New York Times. “There is no place that China’s going to tell me where I can go and who I can speak to, whether you be foe or whether you be friend.”
McCarthy said he does not intend to escalate tensions with China. However, he called for continuing arms sales to Taiwan, enhancing economic cooperation, and promoting shared values with the island.
