Ajit Karn
Media reports that Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen stated on Wednesday that democracy is under threat and that the urgency of “keeping the beacon of freedom shining” cannot be overstated.
Tsai, standing alongside US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a press conference at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, stated, “It is no secret that the peace we have maintained and the democracy we have worked so hard to build are facing unprecedented challenges today.”
“We find ourselves once again in a world where democracy is under threat, and it is imperative that the beacon of freedom remain lit,” she added.
Tsai met McCarthy on Wednesday, becoming the first Taiwanese president to encounter an American House speaker on American soil.
Media reports that this is the second time in a year that Tsai has conferred with an American lawmaker of this rank, following the visit of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August.
The meeting provided Tsai and McCarthy with a prominent forum from which to emphasize US-Taiwan relations.
Tsai stated at a press conference, “We are stronger when we work together.” “Taiwan is grateful to have the United States by our side in our efforts to preserve our way of life.”
McCarthy stated at the press conference, “The friendship between the people of Taiwan and the United States is of vital significance to the free world. Media reported that maintaining economic freedom, peace, and regional stability is crucial.
According to the official statement, after Tsai landed in California in the United States and met with McCarthy, China pledged to take “resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that Tsai’s visit to the United States “gravely violated” the one-China principle.
The Chinese foreign ministry also stated that Tsai and McCarthy continue to meet despite China’s grave concerns and repeated warnings.
In its statement, the ministry also claimed that US officials are providing Tsai with a forum from which to make separatist remarks desiring “Taiwan independence.”
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According to the statement, “This is essentially the United States cooperating with Taiwan to support the political activities of “Taiwan independence” separatists in the United States, to conduct official contact with Taiwan and to upgrade the substantive relations with Taiwan, and to frame it as a transit.”
