McCarthy Says China Leaders Can’t Dictate Who US Speaker Meets

(Bloomberg) -- US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has signaled to China that the country can't influence who he meets with, following a Southern California get-together Wednesday with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

“China cannot dictate who a speaker of the House can meet with, either foe or friend,” McCarthy told Bloomberg TV's “Balance of Power” after the event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

McCarthy, who has traveled to Beijing three times, said he would “gladly” meet with Chinese President Xi Jingping. He emphasized that the gathering with Tsai included both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.    

The California Republican also said he wanted the US to speed arms sales to Taiwan to strengthen the island democracy's military deterrence. 

“What we should do is speed up that process so they can defend themselves,” McCarthy said. 

A Chinese aircraft carrier battle group on Wednesday entered Taiwan's southeastern waters, according to the island's Ministry of National Defense, an early — if mostly symbolic — sign of the “resolute measures” Beijing had pledged in response to the “provocation” presented by the encounter.

Separately, China's large patrol and rescue vessel, the Haixun 06, led a formation of maritime enforcement ships in the north-central part of the Taiwan Strait, state broadcaster China Central Television reported. Taiwan also protested China's plans for onboard inspections of cargo and passenger ships.

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