House Speaker Kevin McCarthy set to meet Taiwan leader in California: Report

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is set to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in the U.S. instead of her home island, which China considers to be a breakaway province, according to a new report.

Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, has said he wants to visit Taiwan to show support for the democratic island, akin to the trip former Speaker Nancy Pelosi took last August in defiance of Beijing.

The Financial Times is reporting that Ms. Tsai will meet Mr. McCarthy in California as part of an April trip that will include stops in Central America and New York.

The report says Ms. Tsai is scheduled to speak at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Southern California. The decision to meet on U.S. soil is due to strained relationships between the U.S. and China and between Taipei and Beijing.

“We shared some intelligence about what the Chinese Communist Party is recently up to and the kinds of threats they pose,” a senior Taiwanese official told the FT.

The Pentagon had been engaged in thorny planning ahead of Mr. McCarthy’s possible trip.

SEE ALSO: Chinese minister warns China, U.S. on course for conflict

China stepped up military drills and scolded Mrs. Pelosi last year when she met with Taiwanese dignitaries and praised the island as a model of democracy in the region.

Beijing earlier this year warned Mr. McCarthy not to replicate the trip, arguing it would violate the “one China” policy, in which the U.S. government acknowledges Beijing’s belief in a single Chinese government while allowing for informal relations with Taiwan.

The Washington Times has reached out to Mr. McCarthy’s office for comment.