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Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has commended her successor Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) historic meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in California in a rare sign of support.
McCarthy introduced Tsai as a “great friend of America” as he hosted her at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley along with more than a dozen lawmakers from both parties during Wednesday’s rare high-level visit.
The meeting—the first of its kind on American soil—risked further exacerbating tensions with China, which had earlier threatened retaliation if Tsai and McCarthy or other senior U.S. figures were to meet.
Despite those threats, McCarthy vowed to speed up arms deliveries to Taiwan in the face of increasing threats from Beijing and bolster economic cooperation with the self-ruled island, particularly when it comes to trade and technology.
Pelosi, who appeared to have a strained relationship with McCarthy during her time as speaker when the Republican was a minority leader, praised her successor’s leadership following the high-profile gathering.
“Today’s meeting between President Tsai of Taiwan and Speaker McCarthy is to be commended for its leadership, its bipartisan participation, and its distinguished and historic venue,” Pelosi said in a brief statement.
Pelosi visited Taiwan in August last year despite warnings from China—which views Taiwan as part of its territory that must be united with the mainland—not to do so.China Condemns Meeting
Beijing viewed the visit as Washington showing support for Taiwan’s desire to be seen as a separate country and swiftly began staging military drills around Taiwan, launching multiple missiles and extensive military patrols.
