China has warned of “consequences” and deployed an aircraft carrier group near Taiwan in response to a high-profile meeting between the self-ruled island’s President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Simi Valley, California, which he called their negotiations “seriously flawed.” , “dangerous” and warning of “decisive and effective” countermeasures.
China’s foreign and defense ministries, as well as the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s parliament, issued separate statements on Thursday condemning the actions and warning of consequences, without detailing possible retaliation.
McCarthy, the third-highest-ranking US official, hosted Tsai on Wednesday, becoming the highest-ranking American figure to meet the Taiwanese leader on American soil in a decade.
McCarthy — and other Republican and Democratic lawmakers — met with Tsai at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Reuters reported, and stressed the need to speed up arms shipments to Taiwan in the face of growing threats from China.
“It is no secret that the peace we have preserved and the democracy that (we) have worked hard to build are facing unprecedented challenges,” Tsai said in remarks alongside McCarthy, CNN reported.
“Once again we find ourselves in a world where democracy is under threat and the urgency of keeping the beacon of freedom burning cannot be underestimated.”
China, which claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out using force to merge it with the mainland, has previously warned against imposing unspecified measures ahead of the meeting.
Beijing vehemently opposes any official interaction between Taiwan and other countries, arguing that such meetings would be interference in China’s internal affairs and embolden “Taiwan independence” forces.
The meeting took place during Tsai’s transit through the US on her way back to Taiwan after her visit to the Central American countries of Belize and Guatemala, two of Taiwan’s remaining 13 formal allies.
A strongly worded statement from China’s foreign ministry on Thursday said the meeting was a “secret agreement” between “Taiwanese independence forces”.
“The Taiwan issue is at the very core of China’s core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations,” the statement said, adding: Taiwan’s independence is absolutely incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. and it’s a road to nowhere.”
“In response to the seriously flawed secret agreements between the United States and Taiwan, China will take decisive and effective measures to protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
She “urged” Washington to “end” all forms of official interaction, strengthen ties with Taiwan and “stop going down the wrong and dangerous path.”
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will stand by its responsibility and mission and will always be on high alert. The PLA will resolutely protect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” China’s Ministry of Defense said in a separate statement.
China staged its biggest war games, deploying warships and launching missiles, around Taiwan last August following a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, the PLA has also escalated its presence around the island this time.
“On April 5th, the PLA Navy’s Shandong fleet of aircraft carriers sailed through the Bashi Strait and entered the southeastern waters of Taiwan and began its first training exercise in the Western Pacific,” the island’s defense ministry said.
A second Chinese aircraft carrier, the Shandong, was spotted about 200 nautical miles (370 km) off Taiwan’s east coast, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters on Thursday.
Read Now :Shikhar Dhawan, Prabhsimran and Ellis star in Punjab Kings’ five run win over RR
