TAIPEI: The Chinese government took strong exception to US move of engaging with Taipei in a series of diplomatic exchanges. The trump administration initiated diplomatic engagements with the Taiwan after Donald Trump took oath as US President. After a highly unusual public meeting between top officials from the US and Taiwan, the Chinese government has slammed Washington in strong words.
Lu Kang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman condemned the meeting and said that Beijing ‘deplored and strongly objected’ to the meeting and urged the US to stop ‘having official exchanges or upgrading substantive relations with Taiwan.’ Lu Kang added, ‘The one-China principle is the political basis for China-US relations. We are firmly against the US engaging in any official contact with Taiwan in whatever form and under whatever pretext.’
US national security adviser John Bolton met with one of Taiwan’s top defense officials, National Security Council Secretary-General David Lee in May. According to Taiwan’s official news agency CAN, it was the first meeting between the top security advisers between two governments after Washington severed formal ties with Taipei in 1979.
Taiwan has already renamed its unofficial embassy in Washington from the Coordination Council for North American Affairs to the Taiwan Council for US Affairs. For the first time, a Taiwan government organization has used the words ‘Taiwan’ and ‘US’.
(Agencies)
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