Taiwanese President's visit to the United States | Beijing urges Washington to “stop meddling in Taiwan”

(Honolulu) China on Monday called on the United States to “stop meddling in Taiwan” while the Taiwanese president is visiting Hawaii, a stopover that Beijing “strongly condemns”.

On Sunday, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te also spoke for about 20 minutes by telephone with former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

Mr. Lai and M.^me Pelosi notably “exchanged their views on the semiconductor industry, artificial intelligence and China's military threats against Taiwan”, reported M^me Kuo.

While in office in August 2022, Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. Beijing subsequently launched massive military exercises, during which missiles flew over Taiwan.

China on Monday called on the United States to “stop meddling in Taiwan” after a phone call between Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington, and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te who was visiting Hawaii.

“We urge the United States to stop meddling in Taiwan and interfering in China's internal affairs, and to stop supporting and encouraging Taiwan separatist forces,” the spokesperson responded. of Chinese Foreign Ministry Lin Jian, in response to a question at a press conference.

The Taiwanese leader's trip to Hawaii marks the first stage of his tour of several Pacific territories, a trip that he presents as the entry into a “new democratic era”, but which arouses the ire of Beijing.

China considers that Taiwan is one of its provinces, which it has not yet succeeded in reunifying with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. It does not exclude the use of strength to achieve this.

On the second day of his trip to Hawaii, Lai Ching-te gave another speech, this time at the East-West Center in Honolulu, after a first public address on Saturday.

Mr. Lai notably mentioned on Sunday the “collaboration between Taiwan and the United States, emphasizing Taiwan's commitment to its own security and the common commitment of Taiwan and the United States to regional peace”, according to Taiwanese presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo.

In his first speech on Saturday, Mr. Lai stressed the need to “fight together to avoid war”, warning that there were “no winners” in a conflict.

In the Pacific, the Taiwanese president will also visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, the only nations in the region among the 12 remaining allies to recognize Taiwan. He should also stop one night on the island of Guam, an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States.

Anger of Beijing

Opposed to any initiative giving the Taiwanese authorities international legitimacy, Beijing strongly condemned this tour by the Taiwanese leader.

“China strongly condemns the United States' organization of the Lai Ching-te 'transit' and has made solemn protests to the United States,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement. .

Beijing also expressed its “firm opposition” and “deplored” the approval by the United States of a new arms sale project to Taiwan, to the tune of $385 million.

“We urge the United States to immediately stop arming Taiwan and stop encouraging and condoning forces that seek Taiwan’s independence and want to strengthen its military to achieve this,” Chinese diplomacy said. .

Washington does not maintain official diplomatic relations with Taipei, but remains the island's main financial backer and its largest arms supplier.

Relations between Beijing and Taipei have been terrible since 2016 and the arrival as Taiwanese president of Tsai Ing-wen, then Lai Ching-te in 2024.

China regularly accuses them of wanting to deepen the cultural separation between the island and the continent. In response, Beijing notably strengthened its military activity around Taiwan.