China Faces Nationalist Anger Over U.S. Plane in Taiwan
- Muted reaction as American military plane arrives in Taipei
- Debate shows pressure on Xi Jinping to enforce ‘red lines’
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China’s muted reaction over a U.S. military flight to Taiwan prompted criticism from nationalists online, underscoring the pressures on President Xi Jinping to follow through on heated “red line” rhetoric.
The U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane made a three-hour stopover in Taipei on Sunday to carry a bipartisan congressional delegation visiting Taiwan. Three U.S. senators -- Democrats Tammy Duckworth and Chris Coons and Republican Dan Sullivan -- met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and announced plans to donate 750,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to help alleviate its shortage of shots.