China slams Tsai meeting in US
CHINA said yesterday it “firmly opposed” a meeting between Taiwan President Tsai IngWen and Senator Ted Cruz, as a state-run newspaper warned of “revenge” against President-elect Donald Trump should he abandon the One China policy.
Tsai met Cruz in Houston at the weekend, the Republican from Texas said, with the two discussing arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations.
The Taiwanese leader was in transit to Central America, where she will meet regional diplomatic allies. Beijing had asked Washington to bar her from US airspace.
“We are firmly opposed to the Taiwan leader’s engagement with US officials under the pretext of transit, and her attempt to undermine China-US relations,” foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.
He urged the US to abide by the One China policy.
Beijing was fully prepared to break ties with the US should Trump abandon the policy, said the Global Times newspaper.
“If Trump reneges on the One China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining,” it said in a Sunday editorial.
Cruz, who lost to Trump in the primary elections, said he had gone ahead with the tete-a-tete despite Chinese opposition.
“The People’s Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves,” the Republican said. — AFP