China announces sanctions against Hudson Institute, others after Taiwan President and US House Speaker hold meet

Beijing [China], April 7 (ANI): The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday announced sanctions against Hudson Institute and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and their directors in response to the meeting held between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and the US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the United States, Global Times reported.

Under the countermeasures, universities, institutions, organisations and people in China have been prohibited from carrying out exchanges and cooperation with the two US institutions that have been sanctioned. In addition, four senior representatives from these two organisations have been banned from entering China.

The four representatives of these institutions who have been sanctioned include Sarah May Stern, chair of Hudson Institute, John Walters, president of the institute, John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, and Joanne Drake, chief administrative officer of the institute, as per the Global Times report.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the movable and immovable assets and other types of property of these four individuals will be frozen within China. The sanctioned individuals from the two institutes have been banned from entering China and barred from being issued a visa.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Hudson Institute and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library provided a platform and convenience for Tsai Ing-wen to engage in "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in the US, as per the Global Times report.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed that these actions violated the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communique and seriously damaged China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as per the news report. The Biden administration allowed Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to "transit" through the US despite China's firm opposition.

On April 6, the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the meeting between Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California and vowed that Beijing will take "strong and resolute measures" to defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the official statement.

Chinese Foreign Ministry in the statement said, "Through the past few days, in disregard of China's serious representations and repeated warnings, the United States deliberately greenlighted the transit of Tsai Ing-wen, leader of the Taiwan region, through the United States. US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the number three in the US government, had a high-profile meeting with Tsai."

It further said, "Other US officials and lawmakers also had contact with Tsai and provided the platform for her separatist rhetoric for 'Taiwan independence'. This is essentially the United States acting with Taiwan to connive at 'Taiwan independence' separatists' political activities in the United States, conduct official contact with Taiwan and upgrade the substantive relations with Taiwan, and frame it as a "transit". This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communique."

Chinese Foreign Ministry's statement came after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen met the United States House of Representatives speaker Kevin McCarthy, on Wednesday (local time).

Taking to her official Twitter handle, Tsai Ing-Wen wrote, "Thank you @SpeakerMcCarthy

for the warm welcome. It's a pleasure to be back at the @Reagan_Library & enjoying the #California sunshine as we work to strengthen the bond between #Taiwan & the #US."

Kevin McCarthy called it an honour to welcome Tsai Ing-Wen. He tweeted, "The friendship between America and the people of Taiwan has never been stronger. It is my honor to welcome President @iingwen to the @Reagan_Library."

In another tweet, McCarthy said, "Taiwan is a successful democracy, thriving economy, and global leader in health and science. Our cooperation continues to expand through dialogue and exchange." (ANI)