US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is set to meet Taiwanese President Tai Ing-wen in the United States next month, the Financial Times reported, noting he agreed to skip a planned visit to the island after past American delegations to Taipei prompted harsh reactions from Chinese authorities. 

told the Times on Monday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one official claimed that China is “not in a good situation right now,” suggesting a trip to Taiwan by McCarthy could carry risks. 

“We shared some intelligence about what the Chinese Communist Party is recently up to and the kinds of threats they pose,” the official said, referring to its communications with McCarthy’s office. They offered no specifics on what sort of danger the lawmaker might face.

While McCarthy declared last summer that he would visit the island should he take the speaker’s role, his team has agreed to a meeting in the US instead, an effort to “avoid an aggressive response from Beijing,” according to the Times.

“defensive” weapons sales over the years – including under the Biden administration.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping said his government would “continue to strive for peaceful reunification with Taiwan,” but insisted it would “never promise to renounce the use of force” to reclaim the disputed territory.