Caleb Maupin, a US citizen living in New York, said we love our country, we want jobs and schools for Americans, not more weapons to Taiwan.
A crowd of 100 people in Midtown Manhattan waved Chinese and US national flags and held signs that there is only one China in the world. Many in the crowd were from Fujian province, a province on the southeast coast of China. The island of Taiwan is located in the east, across the Taiwan Straits.
Fujian and Taiwan are very close. We have a good friendship, and we are connected by blood. Many people in Taiwan were originally from Fujian. Other protesters also held signs saying, Money for jobs and infrastructure in America! The third of its kind of weapons was brought to Taiwan Thursday by a protest. More than 700 people attended the protests, organized by several Chinese communities.
A senior official from the island of Taiwan said Chinese mainland authorities were paying people to attend the protests.
China's Deputy Consul General in New York, Qian Jin later refuted the claim and said the protests were spontaneous.
There isn't a need for involvement of the Chinese consulate in the demonstrations, Qian said on Thursday.
It's a reflection and demonstration of the real needs and heart of the Chinese communities here. I have a feeling that the majority of the Chinese community living here want peace in the Taiwan Straits. They don't want it to become a war zone. They are against Tsai's so-called transit'' in the US. A healthy relationship between China and the US and a stable situation in the Taiwan Straits is in the best interests of Chinese communities here, said Qian.
It doesn't look like a private visit, it is not so much a 'transit', said Qian. He said it would be the first time that the Biden administration would allow the passage of Tsai, and it would be the first time for the US House Speaker to meet Tsai on US soil if it happens, and it would be the first time that Tsai would give public speeches in the US.
It's just using the name of 'transit' to seek official interactions with the US to make a breakthrough and attempt to propagate 'Taiwan independence', Qian said.