On Wednesday, US Ambassador to the UN, Kelly Craft travels to Taiwan, an island which neither the United States nor the United Nations recognise as a country. In fact, up until a few days back, official US policy restricted interactions between US and Taiwanese diplomats. That’s because China has always claimed Taiwan as a part of its territory and the US, like other UN member states, recognises China, not Taiwan. But, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has overturned the US restrictions saying they were meant to “appease” the Chinese government.
Naturally, the change in US rules and Kelly Craft’s upcoming visit haven’t gone down well in China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters on Friday that some “anti-Chinese politicians” like Pompeo would do everything in their remaining term to undermine relations between the US and China. In November 2020, the US agreed to sell four MQ-9 Reaper drones to Taiwan to boost its defenses amid increasing threats by China. The Trump administration also cleared arms packages worth $4.2 billion (€3.44 bullion) to the island. Taiwan has long been an irritant in US-China relations. Washington has no formal ties to the island’s democratically elected government but is its main ally. US law requires the government to ensure Taiwan can defend itself.
