Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, arrived in New York to crowds of supporters and

protesters on a stopover visit that China has labelled a “provocation”.

Tsai is stopping in the US twice during her 10-day visit to diplomatic allies
Guatemala and Belize. Her itinerary has not been disclosed and none of the events
were open to the public or media. However videos shared on social media and from
the travelling press pack show her arriving at a New York hotel, waving at a crowd
of supporters holding US and Taiwan flags.

A larger crowd of protesters also gathered nearby, waving US and Chinese flags and
holding signs saying “there is only one China in the world”, “Taiwan independence
has no way out, Taiwan independence is a dead end”, and “support China’s
reunification and resolutely oppose Taiwan independence”.
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One Taiwan supporter took a dig at those protesting, holding a sign saying “Taiwan
so awesome, even China can’t stop talking about us”. Another noted the irony that
the China supporters were allowed to protest in the US.

Surrounded by a heavy security detail and accompanied by Taiwan’s de facto

ambassador to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, Tsai later attended a dinner with Taiwanese
living overseas. Tsai is expected to address an event at the Hudson Institute
thinktank where she will be presented with a “global leadership award”.

The two-day New York visit is officially a transit stopover, her seventh in the US
since becoming president. But on Wednesday, China’s ministry of foreign affairs
rejected the characterisation.

“The trip is not so much a ‘transit’, but an attempt to seek breakthroughs and
propagate ‘Taiwan independence’,” said spokesperson Mao Ning. “The issue is not
about China overreacting, but the US egregiously conniving at and supporting
‘Taiwan independence’ separatists.”