Secretary of state Mike Pompeo is lifting restrictions on contacts between US officials and their Taiwanese counterparts, a move welcomed by Taiwan but labelled by some observers a publicity stunt likely designed to anger China. The guidelines included restrictions on where representatives could meet, and limited the ranks allowed to attend Taiwan’s national day celebrations. I will cherish every opportunity.”Taiwan’s foreign minister, Joseph Wu, thanked Pompeo for lifting the “unnecessarily limiting” restrictions. Last week, Pompeo announced a last-minute visit to Taiwan next week by the US ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Craft, to meet senior Taiwanese leaders. The announcement prompted China to warn on Thursday that the Trump administration was playing with fire.

Source: The Guardian January 09, 2021 21:42 UTC