Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen confirmed to supporters during her stop in New York that the relationship between the United States and Taiwan is stronger than ever, highlighting "significant progress" in economic and security cooperation. According to Taipei (the capital of Taiwan) and Washington, this stop has not yet triggered any unusual military actions from China. Tsai arrived in New York on Wednesday on her way to Central America and will stop in Los Angeles next week on her return to Taipei, where she is expected to meet with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a meeting that China has warned could lead to a "serious confrontation" in U.S.-China relations.
This visit comes at a time when U.S.-China relations have reached what some analysts consider their worst level since Washington normalized relations with Beijing in 1979 and ended diplomatic recognition of Taipei. During her first stop in the United States since 2019, Tsai promoted Taiwan's economic, security, and diplomatic achievements in a closed-door speech on Wednesday evening to Taiwanese expatriates in New York, according to a statement from her office released on Thursday. She described the island as a "beacon of democracy in Asia."
