U.S. House speaker meets Taiwan president despite China's threats

The meeting outside Los Angeles comes on what is technically a stopover for President Tsai Ing-wen, after her two-country trip in Latin America to visit Taiwan’s few remaining official allies

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy sits down with Taiwan's President on April 5 for a highly symbolic meeting in California that has already prompted outrage and dire warnings from China.

The meeting outside Los Angeles comes on what is technically a stopover for President Tsai Ing-wen, after her two-country trip in Latin America to visit Taiwan's few remaining official allies.

A pro-China demonstration also gathered nearby chanting "One China", as Ms. Tsai arrived Tuesday evening, following her Central American tour.

Beijing claims Taiwan as its own territory and balks at any official contact Taipei has with other countries.

This week, it warned Mr. McCarthy, a Republican and California native who is second in line to the U.S. presidency, that he was "playing with fire" by meeting Ms. Tsai.

"China is strongly opposed to the U.S. arranging for Ms. Tsai to transit through its territory, and is strongly opposed to the meeting between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the third-ranking U.S. official, and Ms. Tsai," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters.

"It seriously violates the One-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and seriously undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."