U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California under threat of retaliation from China and when U.S.-China relations are at best, strained. During the meeting, Tsai emphasized that “We once again find ourselves in a world where democracy is under threat, and the urgency of keeping the beacon of freedom shining cannot be understated.” The meeting is the second time Tsai has met with a U.S. speaker in less than a year but the first time such a meeting has occurred on U.S. soil. McCarthy highlighted that the friendship between the two countries “is a matter of profound importance to the free world. It is critical to maintaining economic freedom, peace, and regional stability.”
