SIMI VALLEY, Calif., and TAIPEI — Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen vowed Wednesday to "defend the peaceful status quo" in which the people of Taiwan can continue to thrive in a free and open society. Her remarks came after a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy that Beijing had warned against.
Speaking in a joint appearance with McCarthy before a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library outside Los Angeles, the Taiwanese leader also thanked the U.S. for its support to Taiwan.
