McCarthy Holds High-Profile Meeting With Taiwan Leader as China Threatens ‘Actions' in Response

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a bipartisan delegation of Congress and Taiwanese president Tsai Ingwen met Wednesday in Simi Valley (California)

Tsai met with McCarthy after meeting privately with small groups U.S. legislators last week.

Beijing has issued veiled threats to Congress members who are attending events at the Reagan Presidential Library.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a bipartisan delegation of Congress, and Taiwanese president Tsai Ingwen met Wednesday in Simi Valley in California. The meeting has heightened tensions between the United States and China.

The Republican House Speaker is the highest-ranking U.S. official who has met with a Taiwanese leader on U.S. territory since 1979.

McCarthy's meeting with Tsai follows on from private meetings Tsai held with small groups of U.S. legislators last week. She met with Sens. Dan Sullivan, R. Alaska, Joni Ernst R. Iowa, and Mark Kelly D. Arizona.

Tsai also met Hakeem Jeffreys, the House Minority leader in New York.

McCarthy's scheduled afternoon events with Tsai, in contrast to those low-key gatherings, will include members of the House and a joint public appearance that will be covered by international media.

The meeting infuriated the Chinese Communist Party leadership, prompting them to protest.

Threats that are veiled

Beijing will send a message to Congress members who will attend the event. China's government announced that it would take "resolute action" in response to the "provocation."

China considers Taiwan a province on the Chinese mainland and any attempt made by Taiwanese leaders to act independent of Beijing is a threat to Chinese sovereignty.

Tsai’s trip to the United States for a week is unofficial and referred to more as a “transit” than a visit. Tsai has a packed schedule with high-level meetings and U.S. legislators that rivals any official visit from a world leader.

Tsai’s visit to the United States puts a strain on the fragile U.S. - China relationship. This has been weakened by Beijing’s aggressive efforts to control Taiwan and its territorial expansion in South China Sea in recent years.

February is a month of a

Chinese reconnaissance balloon

Flying over the United States caused a public outcry until American fighter jets shot it down off the East Coast.

A U.S. government ban on devices that use the social media application TikTok (owned by China's ByteDance) drew attention in September.

Rebuke angry

From Beijing

This story is developing and will be updated all day.