House Speaker McCarthy to meet Taiwan's President in US, reports say

China views Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and sees any engagement between American and Taiwanese officials as a breach of its sovereignty

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy will reportedly meet President Tsai Ing-wen in his home state of California. Reuters

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will reportedly meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in the US in the coming weeks.

The Speaker had previously expressed an interest in travelling to Taipei, a move his Democratic predecessor Nancy Pelosi made in August 2022 - much to the chagrin of Beijing, which responded to her visit with a series of military exercises, including firing missiles over Taiwan.

Instead of a visit, which could further antagonise China, Mr McCarthy has agreed to meet Ms Tsai in the US, two sources told Reuters on Monday.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ms Tsai had been invited to speak at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library during a transit through California on a planned visit to Central America, and that Mr McCarthy was likely to meet her in the US.

A delegation of members of the US Congress, which met Ms Tsai in Taipei in August last year, promised to strengthen military co-operation between Washington and Taiwan.

The Financial Times first reported the plans to meet in California, which is Mr McCarthy's home state.

During a CNBC interview earlier on Monday, Mr McCarthy declined to answer whether he would visit Taiwan, saying he would announce any travel plans when he had them.

US Department of State Spokesman Ned Price said: “I'm not aware of any confirmed travel nor am I aware that our Taiwanese partners have announced any intention to travel.”

Mr McCarthy's office did not respond to The National's request for comment.

China views Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and views any engagement between American and Taiwanese officials as a breach of its sovereignty.

While the US does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Washington has maintained a close relationship with Taipei over the decades, a move that has frustrated China.

Reuters contributed to this report