[Central News Agency] US House of Representatives Speaker McCarthy plans to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen in California in early April. Both the US and Taiwan are low-key and unwilling to confirm today.

But the U.S. State Department reiterated that Congress is an independent body, and the speaker can decide for himself who to meet with and the format of the meeting.

The British "Financial Times" (Financial Times) reported today that President Tsai plans to visit Central America in early April, during which she will stop in California and New York; during her stay in California, President Tsai will meet with Kevin McCarthy, who represents the state. Will go to Reagan Library (Reagan Library) to give a speech.

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McCarthy expressed last summer that if he is elected speaker of the House of Representatives, he intends to lead a delegation to visit Taiwan; when asked by reporters about his plans to visit Taiwan in February this year, although McCarthy said that there is no arrangement yet, he emphasized that China has no right to tell him "where you can go and where you cannot go." ".

As for why McCarthy changed his mind, the report quoted a senior Taiwanese official as saying that Taiwan provided McCarthy’s team with information on the CCP’s recent movements and threats, saying that China’s “current situation is not good.” Therefore, McCarthy and President Tsai reached a consensus to meet in California to discuss Avoid repeating the situation where former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Nancy Pelosi) visited Taiwan in August last year, and the Chinese military made a big move in response.

Facing reporters' questions, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre and State Department spokeswoman Ned Price refused to confirm President Tsai's visit to the United States today, pointing out that Taiwan has not announced any trip itinerary.

As of press time, McCarthy's office had no response.

Regarding Taiwan, the representative office in the United States also chose to keep a low profile and avoid talking. It only said that the relevant arrangements for the president's visit to countries with diplomatic relations are carried out as usual, and there is currently no relevant information to further explain.

Even if McCarthy chooses to meet with President Tsai in California, Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia program of the Washington think tank "German Marshall Fund" (GMF), told the Central News Agency reporter that the possibility of McCarthy's future visit to Taiwan should not be ruled out. The point may come after Taiwan's presidential election in January next year.

Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, who had secretly visited Taiwan at the end of February, also revealed recently that McCarthy may visit Taiwan with African-American leader Hakeem Jeffries of the Democratic Party after the general election. .

Ge Laiyi pointed out that if McCarthy visits Taiwan immediately after Pelosi, it will not be good for Taiwan, and if the visit occurs this year, the Communist Army may hold a large-scale military display again, strengthening the KMT’s claim that “the DPP brings war.” , the KMT brings peace".

In view of the upcoming general election in Taiwan, Ge Laiyi said that this may cause political harm to the DPP.

(Editor: Chen Yanjun) 1120307