China vowed revenge against Taiwan after a meeting between U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the island's President Tsai Ing-wen.
In a show of support, McCarthy, R-Calif., and a coalition of bipartisan U.S. lawmakers hosted the Taiwanese leader on Wednesday. However, by early Thursday China was already threatening reprisals claiming America was on a “wrong and dangerous road.”
U.S. officials have maintained the most recent meeting by President Tsai was not intended to provoke China, however, the meeting did mark the first time a U.S. Speaker is known to have met with a Taiwan president on U.S. soil since the U.S. broke off formal diplomatic relations in 1979.
Delivering remarks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, Speaker McCarthy and President Tsai acknowledged China's threats against the island government.
“America's support for the people of Taiwan will remain resolute, unwavering and bipartisan,” McCarthy said at a news conference. He also said U.S.-Taiwan ties are stronger than at any other point in his life.
Tsai said the “unwavering support reassures the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated.”
Tsai said she and the House Speaker discussed the importance of Taiwan's self-defense, fostering robust trade and economic ties and supporting the island government's ability to participate in the international community.
“It is no secret that today the peace that we have maintained and the democracy which we have worked hard to build are facing unprecedented challenges,” President Tsai warned.
“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 said.
In response to the meeting, Beijing said it would take “resolute and forceful measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity” in a statement issued early Thursday morning by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It urged the U.S. “not to walk further down a wrong and dangerous road.”
While China is known to react aggressively to any perceived escalation, as of Thursday afternoon, there was no overt sign of a large-scale military response.
“We will take resolute measures to punish the ‘Taiwan independence' separatist forces and their actions, and resolutely safeguard our country's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said a statement from China's Taiwan Affairs Office Thursday morning, referring to Tsai and her political party as separatists.
According to Military.com, Thursday morning the state media said Chinese vessels were engaged in a joint patrol and inspection operation in the Taiwan Strait that will last three days, The Fujian Maritime Safety Administration said its ship, the Haixun 06, would inspect cargo ships and others in the waters that run between Taiwan and China as part of the operation.
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It’s hard to be strong when the Dem/Commies are bought and paid for by China.
Just saber rattling only for now