Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen urged continued assist for her nation and warned that its democracy was “below menace” following a high-profile assembly with US Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

Talking on the Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley after discussions with McCarthy, probably the most distinguished official to fulfill a Taiwanese president within the US, Tsai invoked the late president’s position in fortifying US-Taiwan relations.

The Taiwanese chief mentioned she had pressured to McCarthy, accompanied by a bipartisan group of 17 lawmakers, the significance of the view championed by Reagan that “to protect peace, we should be robust”.

“We as soon as once more discover ourselves in a world the place democracy is below menace, and the urgency of preserving the beacon of freedom shining can’t be understated,” Tsai mentioned.

Chatting with reporters individually after the discussions with Tsai, McCarthy mentioned it was clear that Washington needed to proceed the sale of weapons to Taiwan and ensure that arms had been supplied “on a really well timed foundation”. He additionally referred to as for stepped-up financial co-operation with Taiwan.

Requested if he thought the American public would assist US navy motion to defend Taiwan from any assault from China, McCarthy mentioned it was a “hypothetical” that the US ought to attempt to forestall, and that assembly the Taiwanese chief was a part of an effort to point out assist for the nation.

“Our objective is that hypothetical by no means involves fruition. The easiest way to do this is provide the weapons that enable folks to discourage struggle. It’s a important lesson that we discovered by way of Ukraine.”

McCarthy highlighted the bipartisan nature of his group, saying it might ship an necessary message to China. However he mentioned lawmakers weren’t making an attempt to vary the components below which the US has maintained official relations with Beijing, and non-official ties with Taipei.

The assembly in California marked a compromise between McCarthy’s and Tsai’s needs for a extra high-profile US-Taiwan engagement and efforts to keep away from the form of violent response from Beijing that occurred after Nancy Pelosi, then the Democratic Home Speaker, visited Taipei in August.

Hours earlier than the assembly on Wednesday, China’s Individuals’s Liberation Military despatched the Shandong, its latest plane provider, by way of the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan and the Philippines, on its first navigation coaching within the western Pacific, in keeping with Taiwan’s defence ministry.

The Biden administration had warned China to not use the assembly as a pretext for higher aggression in opposition to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a part of its territory and has threatened to annex if Taipei refuses to submit below its management indefinitely.

McCarthy mentioned the assembly, as Tsai transited the US on her approach house from Central America, didn’t preclude a future go to to Taiwan, and mentioned he wouldn’t enable China to dictate his journey.

Mike Gallagher, the Republican head of the brand new Home China committee who was a part of the delegation, rejected the concept that the assembly would provoke China, suggesting that capitulating to China would recall Reagan’s warning about “feeding the crocodile hoping that he’ll eat you final”.

Raja Krishnamoorthi, the highest Democrat on the committee, mentioned the US bond with Taiwan was “unshakeable” whereas stressing that America didn’t need battle. “We don’t want struggle, we don’t need a chilly struggle, we don’t need a sizzling struggle.”

US efforts to strengthen Taiwan’s defences, and high-profile initiatives amongst American politicians in assist of Taiwan, have turn into widespread amid growing hawkishness on China. Over the previous yr, Beijing has hit again in opposition to what it calls interference by international powers.

Whereas Beijing threatened to “take resolute steps to safeguard our sovereignty and territorial integrity” within the run-up to the assembly, the manoeuvre by its provider group remained under the extent of the struggle video games it unleashed after Pelosi visited Taipei.

Final summer time, the PLA fired a volley of missiles over Taiwan, a few of which landed in Japan’s unique financial zone. China’s navy additionally simulated a naval blockade of Taiwan and operations that might be a part of an invasion.

Beijing’s response has been extra measured throughout Tsai’s 10-day abroad journey. When she stopped in New York on her solution to Guatemala and Belize, two of Taiwan’s allies in Central America, the PLA flew a number of plane throughout the Taiwan Strait median line, a transfer it usually makes use of to specific displeasure at Taiwanese or US actions.

On Tuesday, as Tsai was about to land in Los Angeles, a Chinese language provincial maritime security administration in Fujian mentioned one in all its latest and largest coast guard vessels had began an “inspection patrol” within the Taiwan Strait. However each strikes had been far under the size of final yr’s manoeuvres.

Observe Kathrin Hille and Demetri Sevastopulo on Twitter