China warns US House speaker against hosting Taiwan president

China has warned Republican US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy against a planned meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, urging him to avoid repeating “disastrous past mistakes.”

McCarthy confirmed on Monday that he will host a meeting with Tsai in California on Wednesday.

Tsai will make what is formally called a "transit" in Los Angeles on her way back to Taipei after a trip to Central America.

China's consulate in Los Angeles said in a statement on Tuesday that calling it transit is a "false" claim.

Tsai was engaging in official exchanges to "put on a political show,” the consulate said.

"It is not conducive to regional peace, security nor stability, and is not in the common interests of the people of China and the United States," it added.

The consulate said McCarthy is ignoring the lessons from the mistakes of his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, who paid a visit to Taipei last year.

"He will undoubtedly repeat disastrous past mistakes and further damage Sino-US relations. It will only strengthen the Chinese people's strong will and determination to share a common enemy and support national unity," the statement said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also said on Tuesday that Beijing will closely follow developments and resolutely and vigorously defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Mao also asked Washington to prevent Tsai from transiting through the US.

China has sovereignty over Taiwan. The US does not recognize Taiwan as a country and officially supports the "One China" policy, but regularly oversteps its own principles. The island has become China's most sensitive territorial issue and a major bone of contention with Washington.

Washington continues to antagonize Beijing by siding with Taipei's secessionist administration, engaging in frequent military missions around the island, and serving as its largest weapons supplier. 

In the meantime, Chinese Taipei defended the planned meeting in California, saying Beijing had no right to complain.

China's recent criticism of Tsai's trip "has become increasingly absurd,” Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Even if the authoritarian government continues with its expansion and intensifies coercion, Taiwan will not back down," it added.

Deputy secretary-general of Taiwan’s presidential office Chang Tun-han also reacted to Beijing’s  warning, saying, “It is the right of the 23mn people of Taiwan to have exchanges with democratic nations, and there is no room for China to comment.”

SS