Taiwan remains adamant ahead of President Tsai's meeting with U.S. House speaker

Taiwan remained defiant ahe of island president's expected meeting with U.S. House speaker on Wednesday after China threatened retaliation multiple times in past week.

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

visit — while important for Taiwan in demonstrating its overseas support — is fraught for both Taiwan and U.S. because China views Taiwan as its territory and treats any dealings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials as a challenge to its sovereignty.

Belize and Guatemala represent two of Taiwan’s 13 formal allies across world, a number that has dipped as China has put pressure on and funneled money into isolating island. Tsai's Latin American trip comes just a week after Honduras announced it was cutting ties with Taiwan in favor of China, potentially prompted by a $300 million hydroelectric dam project in central Honduras built by a Chinese company.

Last week, and again on Monday, China threatened countermeasures if Tsai met with McCarthy. Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles issued a statement Monday saying it opposed “any form of contact” between Taiwan authorities and U.S.

“ reality and current situation that both sides of (Taiwan) Strait belong to one China is very clear,” statement said.

A spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a daily news briefing Tuesday that China “will closely follow developments and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it has never been part of China and that China's recent criticism has become increasingly “absurd.”

“Taiwan, Republic of China, is a sovereign country, and has right to make its own determination in developing relations with or countries in world,” it said in a statement. “It does not accept interference or suppression by any country for any reason, and will not limit itself because of intimidation or interference.”

United States’ longstanding “one-China” policy acknowledges that Chinese claim Taiwan as ir territory. However, U.S. does not endorse that claim and remains Taiwan’s most important provider of military hardware and or defense assistance.

China has repeatedly asserted its claim to Taiwan, though Taiwan maintains its own democratic system of government since sides split after a civil war in 1949.

Keeping up military pressure, China's People’s Liberation Army sent 20 warplanes toward Taiwan as well as three warships in latest round of exercises that have increased significantly in recent years.

According to data from Taiwan, exercises involved largest number of planes in a week. China regularly sends warplanes around island and has at times seemingly used exercises as a demonstration of its ire.

Last December, China sent 71 planes and seven ships toward Taiwan in a 24-hour display of force after it expressed anger at Taiwan-related provisions in a U.S. annual defense spending bill.

And last year, China responded to a visit by n-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan with largest live-fire drills in deces that included firing a missile over island, which h landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone.

PLA’s increased military activity near Taiwan has raised concerns among regional governments and also drawn greater international attention and rhetorical support for Taiwan’s defense. U.S. legislators have also started visiting Taiwan at a greater frequency, as anti-China sentiment and concerns over China's strategic position grow in Congress.