China Threatens To 'Fight' If US Speaker Meets Taiwan’s President

China has threatened to “fight back” if US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

The warning on Wednesday came as Tsai was due to depart for a trip to Guatemala and Belize, which will see her transit through New York and California in the US.

She is expected to meet McCarthy while in California, at the end of her 10-day trip.

Zhu Fenglian, the spokesperson of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said; “If she has contact with US House Speaker McCarthy, it will be another provocation that seriously violates the one-China principle, harms China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and destroys peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

“We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back."

China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned US officials not to meet Tsai, viewing it as support for the island’s desire to be seen as a separate country.

China and Taiwan belong to “one China”, China says, and as a Chinese province, Taiwan has no right to any sort of state-to-state ties.