The President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, recently addressed members of the Taiwanese community in New York on her way to Central America, seeking to rally allies amid tensions with China. However, pro-China demonstrators rallied against her events, highlighting the ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China. Chinese officials have expressed their objections to any form of official interaction between the US and Taiwan, and the anticipated meeting between Tsai and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is expected to have a significant impact on US-China relations. The US remains Taiwan’s chief source of military hardware and cooperation, and while US law requires Washington to treat all threats to the island as matters of grave concern, it does not explicitly commit the US to sending troops.
Tsai has made six trips to the US during her presidency, meeting with members of Congress and members of the Taiwanese diaspora. Her current trip, which Taiwan calls a “transit,” is consistent with the US’s longstanding unofficial relationship with Taiwan and its one-China policy. The US has maintained an unofficial relationship with Taiwan for decades and has been a key ally in supporting the island’s democracy and security. Tsai’s previous trips to the US, as well as her current “transit,” are consistent with this relationship and the US’s one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the sole government of China but also maintains unofficial relations with Taiwan. The US has continued to provide security assistance to Taiwan, and officials have underscored their support for the island’s democracy and sovereignty. However, the ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China continue to present challenges for US-Taiwan relations and the broader region.
