Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, plans to meet US House speaker Kevin McCarthy on a visit to the United States in coming weeks, according to sources speaking to the Reuters news agency.

Taiwan says no concrete plans for a Tsai trip to U.S.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently has "no concrete plans" for an overseas trip by President Tsai Ing-wen, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said Tuesday, amid reports she will visit Taiwan's allies in April with stopovers in the United States.

"Head of state diplomacy is an important part of the Foreign Ministry's work and the ministry will make proper arrangements for the president's potential state visit," Wu told lawmakers in Taipei.

The Financial Times first reported the plans to meet in California, a move that could replace the Republican speaker’s anticipated but sensitive trip to the democratically governed island claimed by China.

When asked about Beijing’s possible reaction to a reported meeting, Taiwan’s defence minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, said he was not aware of a planned meeting, but would not allow “repeated provocations.”

China staged war games around Taiwan last August after a visit to Taipei by then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Ahead of the Republican Speaker’s anticipated trip to Taiwan, sources who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Tsai had been invited to speak at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library during a transit through California on a planned visit to Central America, and that McCarthy was likely to meet her in the United States.