First modification:
In official transit in the United States upon her return from a trip to Latin America, the Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-wen, met with the speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy. A meeting denounced by the Beijing authorities.
With RFI Washington correspondent Guillaume Naudin
“It’s not for China to tell me who I can or can’t meet.” Kevin McCarthy was very direct when he received the Taiwanese president in California, more specifically at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, a president who did a lot for relations between Taiwan and the United States, McCarthy recalled.
As there is no shortage of contentious issues in US politics, he returned to his country’s unity in supporting Taiwan. The third US state official assured that the relationship between Taipei and Washington was “stronger” than it had ever been “in [su] life”.
A claim amplified by the Democrats and Republicans who were also part of the delegation. Its members wholeheartedly affirmed that the meeting was to defend freedom, democracy, allies in the region and stability in the Indo-Pacific. “Your presence and unwavering support reassure the Taiwanese people that we are not isolated, we are not alone,” Tsai Ing-wen said.
regional stability
This stability in the region is also one of the priorities of the French ally of the Americans, President Emmanuel Macron, on a state visit to Beijing.
Kevin McCarthy does not see any contradiction with his own approach: “I think it is positive that there is more communication between nations. I think that showing military force is not. Communication is more powerful,” said the speaker of the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, Taiwan announced that it had detected a helicopter and three Chinese warships near the island on the morning of Thursday, April 6. “A plane of the People’s Liberation Army and three ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy were detected at 06:00” local time (2200 GMT on Wednesday), Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
