Taiwan 'grateful' after US House speaker meeting; China threatens 'resolute response'

Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen expressed gratitude for a meeting with US House speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday, saying it showed her island was “not isolated” on the international stage amid China’s threat of a “resolute response.” Tsai, who was greeted by the top Republican in California, said she had received a warm welcome in the United States from politicians across party lines. “Their presence and unwavering support reassure the people of Taiwan that we are not isolated and we are not alone,” she said. Tsai’s visit to California is technically a stop-over after a trip to Latin America to see two of Taiwan’s dwindling band of official diplomatic allies. Despite its having been ruled separately for more than 70 years, China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary. Beijing balks at any official contact Taipei has with other countries, insisting there is only “one China,” and hours after Tsai and McCarthy appeared in front of the cameras, it shot back. “In response to the seriously erroneous acts of collusion between the United States and Taiwan, China will take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the foreign ministry said. McCarthy vows US arms sales to Taiwan McCarthy, who is second in line to the US presidency, said a shared belief in freedom and democracy underpinned a relationship that was “a matter of profound importance to the free world.” He vowed US arms sales to Taiwan – which infuriated the Chinese leadership – would continue, in what he said was a proven strategy to dissuade aggression. “And what we know through history, the best way to do that is supply the weapons that allow people to deter war,” he told reporters at the library, north of Los Angeles. “It is a critical lesson that we learned through Ukraine, that the idea of just sanctions in the future is not going to stop somebody” who wants to wage war. Despite having all the trappings of a fully functioning state, only a handful of countries acknowledge Taiwan as a sovereign nation. Taipei enjoys bipartisan support in the US Congress, and has grown closer to Washington under Tsai’s leadership – much to China’s annoyance. Support for Taiwan – and disapproval of China – is one of the few issues that unites America’s warring politicians. McCarthy’s predecessor Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit Last year, McCarthy’s predecessor, Democrat Nancy Pelosi sparked fury in Beijing by becoming the most senior US official to visit the island in over two decades. That prompted Beijing to launch its largest-ever military exercises in waters around Taiwan. McCarthy had originally planned to go himself, but opted instead to meet Tsai in California. The decision was viewed as a compromise that would underscore support for Taiwan but avoid inflaming tensions with China. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .