Taiwan defies China pressure before US House speaker meeting

Supporters of Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen wait for her arrival outside The Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles Tuesday, April 4, 2023. [AP Photo]

Taiwan defied threats of retaliation by China ahead of an expected meeting between the island's president and the U.S. House speaker Wednesday that will underscore her government's claim to sovereignty.

President Tsai Ing-wen is finishing a tour of Taiwan's remaining diplomatic allies in Latin America, Belize and Guatemala. The most politically sensitive part of her trip will be a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles while she transits on her way back home.