Taiwan´s leader in US on low-key visit that has drawn Chinese threats of retaliation

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will host a meeting in California today, Wednesday April 5 with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, part of a sensitive and low key U.S. stopover that has drawn Chinese threats of retaliation, according to sources.

Last week President Tsai Ing-wen was welcome to New York and according to the BBC, Taiwan is caught in the middle of a dangerous love triangle. Taiwan-China relations, China-US relations and Taiwan-US relations are on edge.

The timing is hardly a coincidence. In the US there is deep and increasing hostility to China which is driving open displays of support for the island of Taiwan, with both US main parties competing to out-do each other.

The self-governed island, which Beijing claims as part of its sovereign territory, is arguably the biggest and most dangerous issue between the US and China.

The Taiwanese leader has visited the US rather than incite rage in China for her nation hosting a high-ranking US politician.

Nancy Pelosi´s visit last summer to Taipei caused Beijing to threaten the country and caused its military to flex its muscles. In capitals around the region governments then began talking seriously about the schedule for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

While Taiwanese and U.S. officials have said in the run-up to the McCarthy-Tsai meeting they have not seen any unusual activity from China’s military, Taiwan is on alert for any further Chinese drills.

Behind closed doors in the US, Ms. Tsai discussed opportunities to expand trade with the U.S. and possible deals such as a taxation treaty that could tighten their links and underscore shared values, according to Miles Yu, a senior fellow and director of Hudson Institute’s China Center.

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