Taiwan President's Trip to the Americas Sparks Controversy and Preparedness.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen plans to visit two Central American allies, Guatemala and Belize, with two unofficial stops in the US. The US administration has emphasized the "personal" nature of the stops to avoid escalating tensions with China, which opposes state-to-state relations between Taiwan and other nations. China has criticized the US for maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan, including through the sale of military weapons and equipment. Tsai's visit to the US has increased speculation that she intends to meet with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the leading Republican in the US House of Representatives.