Taiwan, Covid-19 seen to rock China-US ties as Republican McCarthy launches House speaker bid

Name: US midterm elections throw control of Congress in the air as Republican ‘red wave’ prospects dim
Uploaded: 2022-11-10T14:30:08.000Z
Duration: 1 min 55 s
Description: US midterm elections throw control of Congress in the air as Republican ‘red wave’ prospects dim

Republican minority leader Kevin McCarthy, who has promised to set up a Covid-19 probe panel, is running for House of Representatives speaker

If McCarthy decides to visit Taiwan as speaker, ‘China’s reaction will be stronger than the time when Pelosi went’, warns analyst in Beijing

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Kevin McCarthy has officially sought the Republican Party’s support to become House speaker. Photo: AP

Kinling Loin Washington

Published: 10:30pm, 10 Nov 2022

Beijing should brace for more upheaval in US ties over Taiwan and the origins of Covid-19, as Republican minority leader Kevin McCarthy launches his bid to be speaker of the House of Representatives, Chinese analysts believe.

While results from Tuesday’s US midterm elections are still coming in, Republicans are expected to win a majority in the House, and McCarthy has officially sought his party’s support for the No 1 position in the chamber, according to US media reports.

01:55

US midterm elections throw control of Congress in the air as Republican ‘red wave’ prospects dim

An internal vote is expected at the Republican Party conference next week, but a full House vote for the position will only be held when the new Congress convenes in January.

Ahead of the midterms, McCarthy promised that a Republican majority would see a new committee set up to investigate the origins of Covid-19 and how the US can bring home supply chains from China, as well as “look at where China has been stealing our technology”.

“[Beijing hopes] the US will work with China to find the right way for our two countries to get along,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday, while declining to comment on the midterm elections as they were the “internal affairs” of the US.

US-China relations have faced fierce headwinds lately, especially after current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defied Beijing’s warnings to visit Taiwan in August. Backing her decision in July, McCarthy had said he “would love to do it as speaker”.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x