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.
