McCarthy Calls for ‘One Voice’ Against CCP Aggression After Meeting With Taiwan’s Tsai

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has called for Congress to accelerate the supply and delivery of military weapons to Taiwan amid escalating tensions between China’s communist regime and the self-governed democracy. McCarthy (R-Calif.) spoke out against China’s aggression and urged the United States and its allies to send a clear and unified message promoting peace and protecting democracy. McCarthy made the remarks after meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California on Wednesday. He stressed the importance of congressional leaders speaking with “one voice” so that China’s leaders know “where we stand.”

The U.S.-China relationship should be based on mutual respect, promoting peace, and prosperity through trade and commerce, added McCarthy. He dismissed CCP’s intimidation tactics, saying he is not going to let China dictate his movements or speech, as he is the Speaker of the House, not the general manager of the Houston Rockets.

The Six Assurances 

McCarthy spoke about President Ronald Reagan’s “Six Assurances,” a framework that was established in 1982, forming the foundation of how relations between the United States and Taiwan are conducted. McCarthy stated that these assurances serve as the backbone of the U.S. relationship with the Taiwanese people. One of the assurances enables the United States to deliver military weapons to Taiwan as a deterrent to war and allow the Taiwanese people to defend themselves against an invasion.

Tsai and the congressional delegates discussed ways to speed up the delivery of these weapons, according to McCarthy.

CCP Threats

The CCP has claimed Taiwan as its territory since the party took power in 1949, vowing to eventually “reunify” the self-governed island with the mainland. The United States, however, has rejected the CCP’s sovereignty claims. Instead, the United States has maintained strong diplomatic ties with the Taiwanese government, keeping the Six Assurances promised by Reagan and denouncing Beijing’s attempts to subjugate the island.

The CCP denounced the meeting, building up its military presence near Taiwan and threatening the United States for allowing the meeting. When McCarthy was asked whether a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan is pending, he expressed his hopes that the day would never come and called for dialogue to foster peace. He highlighted that more communication would have averted the conflict between Russia and Ukraine before it started.

When questioned whether he intends to visit Taiwan, McCarthy replied that he currently has no plans, but hasn’t ruled out the possibility of going. However, he insists that the intention wouldn’t be adversarial, but rather to be part of a bipartisan delegation to promote peace and stability in the region.

McCarthy expressed his concerns that some nations have backed their support for Taiwan’s democracy in exchange for economic support from China. He said that he wished that all nations would make their decisions based on democracy.

When questioned whether the United States should pledge to defend Taiwan if China attacks, McCarthy replied that the goal is to prevent conflict. He warned that sanctions alone wouldn’t stop a potential conflict and emphasized that weapons supply was critical to allow people to deter war and protect themselves.

Freedom and Democracy

McCarthy remarked that China lost respect when it failed to keep its promise of allowing Hong Kong to maintain its version of democracy for 50 years after the United Kingdom handed it over to China’s ruling party in 1997. McCarthy argued that when the world stays silent on these issues, it leads to more significant problems. He emphasized that Reagan’s spirit, commitment to democracy, and belief in peace and freedom had always laid the foundation for the US friendship with Taiwan.