Tsai Ing-wen warns Taiwan's democracy in jeopardy in joint address with Kevin McCarthy

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said that her country's democracy is facing a major threat and it is, therefore, necessary to keep "the beacon of freedom shining" despite the unprecedented obstacles posed by China. The Taiwanese leader made the remarks on Wednesday during a joint press conference with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California's Simi Valley.

"It is no secret that today the peace we have maintained and the democracy which we have worked hard to build are facing unprecedented challenges," she said, according to CNN. "We once again find ourselves in a world where democracy is under threat and the urgency of keeping the beacon of freedom shining cannot be understated," she added. Furthermore, she expressed gratitude to the United States for the support it has offered to Taiwan in order to help the nation "protect" itself. "We're stronger when we are together. In our efforts to protect our way of life, Taiwan is grateful to have the United States by our side," she continued.

On the other hand, McCarthy emphasised that US-Taiwan ties are necessary to protect freedom on a global level. While addressing the presser, McCarthy said, "The friendship between the people of Taiwan and America is a matter of profound importance to the free world. It is critical to maintain economic freedom, peace and regional stability," he said.

China slams Tsai Ing-wen's visit to the United States

Wednesday marked the first time that a Taiwanese President met a US House Speaker on American land. For Tsai Ing-wen, it was the second time to meet a top US lawmaker within a year after she met former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan in 2022. Unsurprisingly, Tsai's visit to the US did not sit right with China, which vowed to take "resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty" and called the leader's visit a "transit" that "gravely violated" the One-China policy. 

"This is essentially the United States acting with Taiwan to connive at "Taiwan independence" separatists' political activities in the United States, conduct official contact with Taiwan and upgrade the substantive relations with Taiwan, and frame it as a transit", the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.