The U.S. and Taiwan are closer than ever, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen told supporters during a stopover in New York that on Friday was followed by nine Chinese aircraft crossing the Taiwan Strait's median line to carry out combat readiness patrols.
Tsai arrived in New York on Wednesday on her way to Central America, and on her way back to Taipei next week she will stop in Los Angeles where she is expected to meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, an interaction China has warned could lead to a "serious confrontation" in U.S.-China relations.
The visit comes at a time when U.S. relations with China are at what some analysts see as their worst level since Washington normalized ties with Beijing in 1979 and switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei.