China called on Monday, December 2, the United States to “stop meddling in Taiwan” while the Taiwanese president is visiting Hawaii, a stopover that Beijing “firmly condemns”. On Sunday, Lai Ching-te also spoke for about 20 minutes by telephone with former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. The Taiwanese president and Nancy Pelosi notably “exchanged their views on the semiconductor industry, artificial intelligence and China’s military threats against Taiwan”, reported the spokesperson for the Taiwanese President. Taiwanese presidency Karen Kuo. While in office in August 2022, Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. Beijing subsequently launched massive military exercises, during which missiles flew over Taiwan.
“We urge the United States to stop meddling in Taiwan and interfering in China’s internal affairs, and to stop supporting and encouraging Taiwan’s pro-independence separatist forces,” the spokesperson responded. of Chinese Foreign Ministry Lin Jian, in response to a question at a press conference.
Controversial stopover
The Taiwanese leader’s trip to Hawaii marks the first stage of his tour of several Pacific territories, a trip that he presents as the entry into a “new democratic era”, but which arouses the ire of Beijing. China considers that Taiwan is one of its provinces, which it has not yet succeeded in reunifying with the rest of its territory since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. It does not exclude the use of strength to achieve this.
On the second day of his trip to Hawaii, Lai Ching-te gave another speech, this time at the East-West Center in Honolulu, after a first public address on Saturday. Lai Ching-te notably mentioned on Sunday the “collaboration between Taiwan and the United States, emphasizing Taiwan’s commitment to its own security and the common commitment of Taiwan and the United States to regional peace.” , according to Karen Kuo. In his first speech on Saturday, he stressed the need to “fight together to avoid war”, warning that there were “no winners” in a conflict.
“Solemn protests”
In the Pacific, the Taiwanese president will also visit the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, the only nations in the region among the 12 remaining allies to recognize Taiwan. He should also stop one night on the island of Guam, an unincorporated and organized territory of the United States. Opposed to any initiative giving the Taiwanese authorities international legitimacy, Beijing strongly condemned this tour by the Taiwanese leader. “China strongly condemns the United States’ organization of the Lai Ching-te ‘transit’ and has made solemn protests to the United States,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement. .
Beijing also expressed its “firm opposition” and “deplored” the approval by the United States of a new arms sale project to Taiwan, to the tune of 385 million dollars (364 million euros). “We urge the United States to immediately stop arming Taiwan and stop encouraging and condoning forces that seek Taiwan’s independence and want to strengthen their military to achieve this,” Chinese diplomacy said. .
Washington does not maintain official diplomatic relations with Taipei but remains the island’s main donor and its largest arms supplier. Relations between Beijing and Taipei have been execrable since 2016 and the arrival as Taiwanese president of Tsai Ing-wen, then Lai Ching-te in 2024. China regularly accuses them of wanting to deepen the cultural separation between the island and the continent. In response, Beijing notably strengthened its military activity around Taiwan.