Taiwan Official Expects Kevin McCarthy To Visit Taipei: 'Just A Matter of Timing'

Taiwan's head of legislature said the country still expects the U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to visit Taipei after a recent flare of tension between Beijing and Washington. 

What Happened: You Si Kun, the speaker of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan – alongside visiting U.S. lawmakers including Michael McCaul, the Republican head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee – said, "I extended an invite to McCarthy to come visit before he became House speaker."

"I understand that Speaker McCarthy is a person of promise. It's just a matter of timing."

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McCarthy's visit to Taipei would increase the possibility of a repeat of tensions seen last year when Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. 

This came after McCarthy met Taiwan President Tsai Ing Wen earlier this week in Los Angeles during her brief stopover in California while visiting allies in Central America. McCarthy and Tsai stressed the importance of the relationship between the two countries for economic freedom, peace and stability in the region.

Meanwhile, China imposed sanctions on four U.S. nationals linked to the Taiwan president's visit to California this week and further restrictions on Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington. 

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