US House speaker to meet Taiwan president this week in California

US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has confirmed that he will meet Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in California this week, despite China’s warning this could lead to serious confrontation.

Ms. Tsai will stop over in the US on Wednesday, as she returns from a tour of Taiwan’s allies in Central America.

A visit to Taiwan last year by the former US speaker was seen as a major provocation by China, which reacted with military drills around the island. Mr. McCarthy will meet the Taiwanese leader in a bipartisan meeting at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library outside of Los Angeles.

The US maintains full diplomatic relations with Beijing but is Taiwan’s most important ally and arms supplier.