US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is planning to meet with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in the United States, according to sources cited in articles by Reuters, Yahoo News, Financial Times, and The Guardian.

This move has been seen as a way to avoid angering China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province and has been ramping up military activity around the island. Taiwan has repeatedly warned of China’s “provocations”, with tensions between the two sides at their highest levels in years.

China has warned the US not to cross any “red lines” by supporting Taiwan’s independence, with the Biden administration indicating that it will continue to support Taiwan as a “vital partner”.

McCarthy’s planned meeting with President Tsai is expected to take place later this year, although no official date has been announced. The meeting is likely to further elevate tensions between the US and China, with China’s state-run media warning that McCarthy risks “playing with fire”.