China Protests Planned US Visit by Taiwanese Official

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

  • China's Foreign Ministry on Monday criticized plans for William Lai, Taiwan's vice president, and presidential frontrunner, to visit the US next month.

  • Lai, who leads in polling to succeed Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in Jan. 2024, has stopovers in the US during his trip to and from Paraguay in August.


The Spin

Pro-China narrative

China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are under threat from ties between the US and Taiwan, which have strengthened during the Ukraine war. Meetings with Taiwanese officials do nothing but inflame potential disagreements between the US and China, in violation of America’s agreed-upon One-China policy.

Anti-China narrative

Taiwan must maintain its independence to maintain the legitimacy of democracy worldwide. In that vein, Taiwan’s leaders are free to meet with whomever they need to meet with to keep its alliances strong. China must not be allowed to intervene in Taiwan’s affairs.

Nerd narrative

There's a 57% chance that China will successfully control Taiwan within three years, If they invade Taiwan before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.



Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO

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