US House speaker Kevin McCarthy to meet Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday

Kevin McCarthy’s office says he will speak with Tsai Ing-wen at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, joined by other members of Congress

Tsai will be travelling to Los Angeles on her return from a trip to Guatemala and Belize

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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, his office has announced. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Published: 4:15am, 4 Apr 2023Updated: 6:28am, 12 Apr 2023

US Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House speaker, will host a bipartisan meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, his office announced on Monday.

They will be joined by other members of Congress at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, near Los Angeles, the office said.

Tsai’s trip to Los Angeles is part of her way back to Taiwan after a three-day visit to Belize that began on Sunday.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen delivering a speech to the National Assembly Chamber in Belmopan, Belize, on Monday. Photo: Belize Government / AFP

The Taiwanese leader started her tour in New York on Wednesday, en route to Guatemala, the only other Central American country apart from Belize that maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties and established them with Beijing on March 26.

Beijing regards Taiwan, a self-ruled island, as a rogue province to be united with the mainland eventually, by force if necessary. Few countries, including the US, recognise Taiwan as an independent state.

Under official US policy, Washington does not recognise Beijing’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan but “acknowledges” that it exists.

Ahead of Tsai’s trip, Beijing said it would “resolutely hit back” if a planned meeting between Tsai and McCarthy proceeded.

On Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated that China strongly opposed “any form of official interaction and contact between the US side and Taiwan authorities”.