ANP products | Source: AP
New York
The Taiwanese president landed in New York on Wednesday afternoon (local time). Tsai Ing-wen travels to Guatemala and Belize, but makes a much-discussed stop in the United States on the way there and back.
China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province, has threatened strong retaliation if Tsai meets US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the US. Beijing sees the stoppage as a provocation, saying a meeting between McCarthy and Tsai would “destroy peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”.
Before she leaves, Sai says she won’t mind this “external pressure”. “We are calm and confident, we will not budge, we will not provoke. Taiwan is moving forward on the road to freedom and democracy to the world. That road is difficult, but Taiwan is not alone,” the president said.
Tsai will stay in New York for a few days and stop in Los Angeles on the way back. He is expected to meet McCarthy in California, but neither country has confirmed anything.