JAKARTA - China warned United States House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday not to "repeat past costly mistakes" by meeting Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, insisting it would not help regional peace and stability, would only unite the Chinese people behind common enemy.
McCarthy, who is from the Republican Party, is the third most senior US leader after the president and vice president. She plans to host a meeting with President Tsai in California on Wednesday, in a transit that prompted warnings from China last week.
President Tsai will make what is officially called a "transit" in Los Angeles on her way back to Taipei, after a trip to Central America. The US says such stopovers are normal and there is no need for China's excessive response.
However, the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles said it was "incorrect" to claim it as transit, adding President Tsai engaged in an official exchange to "put on a political show".
No matter in what capacity McCarthy meets Tsai, such an attitude will seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, sending the wrong signal to Taiwan's separatist forces, affecting the political foundations of China-US relations, the consulate said in a statement.
"This is not conducive to regional peace, security and stability and is inconsistent with the common interests of the Chinese people and the United States," the consulate stressed, cited from Reuters, April 4.
McCarthy ignored the lessons learned from her predecessor's mistakes, the statement said, referring to the former US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who visited Tawain last year, insisting on playing the "Taiwan card".
"He will undoubtedly repeat the disastrous past mistakes and further damage China-US relations. This will only strengthen the Chinese people's determination and firm determination to share common enemies and support national unity," the statement said.
The consulate added that China will follow developments closely and resolutely, vigorously defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, without providing details.
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Separately, in a statement on Tuesday, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said China had no right to complain, as the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island.
It said China's recent criticism of President Tsai's trip had "become more and more preposterous".
"Even if the authoritarian government continues its expansion and intensifies coercion, Taiwan will not back down," said Taiwan's foreign ministry.
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