[ad_1]
For decades, the United States retained official contacts with Taiwan. Chancellor Pompeo has now declared that this practice is over. There should no longer be internal restrictions on US diplomats in dealing with Taiwan.
The US government is lifting self-imposed restrictions on how US diplomats and government officials deal with their contacts in Taiwan. “The US government took these steps unilaterally to appease the communist regime in Beijing,” said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “No longer.”
The move comes ahead of a planned visit by US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft to Taiwan, which is scheduled for January 13-15 and is harshly criticized by China. Relations between the US administration of President-elect Donald Trump and the Beijing government are strained.
Beijing threats
China is asking its diplomatic partners not to have official contacts with the Taipei government. The communist leadership in Beijing only regards the democratic island as part of the People’s Republic, although it has never been part of it. Since the election of independence defender Tsai Ing-wen as president in 2016, Beijing has increased diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing on Friday that some “anti-Chinese politicians” like Pompeo would do everything possible during the remaining period to undermine US-China relations. “We hope and know that Americans will pay a high price for their wrongdoing.”
“Null and ineffective contact guidelines”
Pompeo said that US government agencies should consider any previous State Department “contact policy” regarding relations with Taiwan null and void. The American Taiwan Institute (AIT) is responsible for implementing US policy toward Taiwan.
US government officials had visited Taiwan before Pompeo’s announcement. However, during the outgoing US president’s tenure, visits had become more frequent and prominent, intensifying tensions between Beijing and Washington.
