China is imposing sanctions on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and other U.S.- and Asia-based organizations in retaliation for a closely watched meeting this week between the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the president of Taiwan.
China is imposing sanctions on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and other U.S. and Asian organizations during the U.S.-Taiwan meeting. (Twitter)
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Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted talks this week with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a rare bipartisan high-level meeting at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.
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The meeting comes at a time when U.S.-China relations are at an all-time low and tensions between Taiwan and mainland China are rising. China sees any official dealings between foreign governments and Taiwan as aimed at boosting Taipei’s global status and thereby violating Beijing’s claim to the island.
“We will resolutely fight against ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and their actions, and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said in a statement on Thursday, calling Tsai Ing-wen and her party separatists.
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In addition, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, said that the Future of Asia Foundation and the Council of Liberal Democratic Party of Asia were sanctioned for their participation in promoting Taiwan’s independence “under the guise of academic and research exchanges”. .
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The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that the Hudson Institute think tank and the Reagan Library were sanctioned for “providing a platform and convenience for Taiwan independence activities.”
Four others were also appointed to leadership positions in these organizations: Sarah May Stern, chair of the board of directors of the Hudson Institute; John P. Walters, president of the Hudson Institute; John Heubusch, former executive director, Reagan Foundation; Joanne M. Drake, chief administrative officer, Reagan Foundation. China says any property or financial assets they have in China will be frozen.
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As part of her trip to the United States, Tsai accepted a leadership award from the Hudson Institute and delivered a speech on Taiwan’s regional security challenges.
The sanctions are effectively a travel ban on the head of the organisation. They are also banned from working with Chinese organizations.
read also: China accuses Tsai-McCarthy of US meeting, deployment of aircraft carrier near Taiwan
The Vision Foundation is a Taiwanese think tank dedicated to dialogue and cooperation on issues related to Taiwan’s security, economic and social development. The Liberal Democratic Party of Asia Council is a regional organization established in Thailand to facilitate exchanges among liberal democratic political parties in Asia. The Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan is a member.
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In addition, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council also announced further sanctions on Xiao Biqin, Taiwan’s representative in the United States, which seems to be no substantive difference from the ban imposed on her when the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August last year. The party and the ruling government have imposed sanctions on a list of individuals, including Xiao.
It then banned individuals, their family members and related organizations from traveling or operating in mainland China, including Hong Kong. Any of Shaw’s financial sponsors are also covered, Friday’s announcement said.
