BEIJING, July 20 (Reuters) - It is China's "priority" to stop Taiwan's vice president and presidential frontrunner William Lai from visiting the United States next month, the country's ambassador in Washington said on Wednesday, as Beijing steps up its warnings against the trip.
Provocative moves by Taiwan "separatists" should be contained, he added.
"Now the priority for us is to stop Lai Ching-te from visiting the United States, which is like a grey rhino charging at us," Xie said, using Lai's Chinese language name.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and her government have repeatedly offered talks with China but been rejected, as Beijing views them as separatists.
In August and then again in April, China staged large-scale war games around Taiwan, angered by the August visit to Taiwan of then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and in April by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meeting current House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles, while she was transitting back from a visit to Central America.
Persons:
William Lai, Lai, Democratic Progressive Party's, Xie Feng, Xie, Lai Ching, Tsai Ing, Both Tsai, Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, Ben Blanchard, Stephen Coates
Organizations:
United, Democratic Progressive, Aspen Security, ., Taiwan, Central America, Beijing, Thomson
Locations:
BEIJING, United States, Washington, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Taipei, Paraguay, Los Angeles, Central, Tapei