China fumes as Pompeo congratulates Taiwan President Tsai on her second term

DHARAMSALA, 20 May: Exasperated by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s congratulatory statement to Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen as she began her second term, China’s foreign ministry has said that it “seriously damaged the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait and China-US relations.”

The Reuter’s reported that China’s foreign ministry has said Beijing “will take necessary countermeasures and the U.S. must bear the consequences.”

“Congratulations to Dr Tsai Ing-wen on the commencement of your second-term as Taiwan’s President. Taiwan’s vibrant democracy is an inspiration to the region and the world. With President Tsai at the helm, our partnership with Taiwan will continue to flourish,” Pompeo said on his twitter handle.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen was inaugurated for a second term earlier-today amid strained relationship with China who has been exercising increasing pressure on the self-governing island as it claims the self-ruled and democratic Taiwan as its own and views it as a wayward province to be reunified with China by force if necessary.

Tsai in her address after being sworn in for her second term in office, has said that Taiwan wants dialogue with China but cannot accept its proposal for “one country, two systems,” and instead called for the need to find a  way to coexist.

China needs to “face reality” and show Taiwan “respect,” the Taiwanese President said after she was re-elected for a second term with a landslide victory in the country’s presidential election earlier in Jan.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of Taiwan’s remaining 15 formal diplomatic allies among others.