The U.S. State Department hinted on Wednesday that it would not oppose Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen travelling to California to meet Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy confirmed on Tuesday that he would see the president in his home state of California, avoiding for now a visit to Taiwan that could inflame already high tensions with Beijing.
He had previously expressed a desire to visit Taiwan, as his predecessor Democrat Nancy Pelosi did in August 2022 - a trip that prompted China to conduct unprecedented military manoeuvres around the island.
McCarthy did not, however, rule out the possibility of also visiting Taiwan at a later date.
Speaking to reporters, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price called the trip by the Taiwanese president a “transit” rather than a “visit” to the US.
“Transits of the United States by high-level Taiwan officials are consistent with longstanding US policy and with our unofficial and strong relations with Taiwan,” Price said.
“That is nothing new. It is not something that would break any new ground. It is entirely consistent with the status quo,” he explained.
He recalled that the Taiwanese president had already transited through the US on six occasions since taking office in 2016.
Tsai was last in the United States in 2019, stopping over during an official trip to the Caribbean.
Beijing is opposed to any official or military contact between Taiwan’s authorities and foreign countries.
Washington is one of Taiwan’s closest allies and supporters, while recognising the communist government in Beijing as the sole legitimate representative of China.
