US lifts ‘self-imposed restrictions’ with Taiwan

US lifts ‘self-imposed restrictions’ with Taiwan

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Washington has for years “created complex internal constraints to regulate” US officials’ relations with Taiwan “in an effort to appease the communist regime in Beijing,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Saturday. . “Not anymore,” Pompeo wrote.

China regards Taiwan as part of its territory, and American relations with the island, which is governed democratically, are a source of tension.

In a statement, Pompeo, an ardent critic of China, wrote that U.S. diplomats should now consider all State Department contact guidelines regarding relations with Taiwan “void.”

The order comes less than two weeks before the administration of President-elect Joe Biden takes over, and it is likely to be an obstacle for the incoming team to deal with.

The US has maintained close ties with Taiwan since it split from mainland China in 1949 after the end of a bloody civil war. But until recently, Washington avoided large-scale show of friendship not to oppose Beijing, which still views the self-governing democracy of some 24 million people as an integral part of its territory, under its One China policy.

China’s leader, President Xi Jinping, was clear in his ambitions to “reunite” the island with the mainland and refused to eliminate the use of force, even though the ruling Chinese Communist Party never exercised direct control over Taiwan.
Under the One China policy, the US has unofficial relations with Taiwan and places its unofficial representatives in Taipei. Washington has also long given arms to the island under the provisions of the 40-year-old Taiwanese relations law.

Growing tension

Tensions between China and the US over Taiwan have worsened in recent months as top Trump officials visit the self-governing island. Beijing increased the pressure on Taiwan through a series of military exercises and air strikes.
In September, Foreign Minister for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Keith Krach visited Taiwan, a month after Alex Azar, Minister of Health and Human Services, took a trip, ostensibly to discuss coronavirus prevention measures, but also in a very symbolic proof of support by the Trump administration for Taipei.

At the time, Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the US and Taiwan “official exchanges should” stop immediately “. “China is definitely against any form of official exchange between the United States and Taiwan. This position is consistent and clear,” Wang said.

Now Pompeo has cleared US diplomats and other government officials to deal with their counterparts in Taiwan, just as they would with counterparts from any other country.

“The US government maintains relations with unofficial partners around the world, and Taiwan is no exception. Our two democracies share common values ​​of individual freedom, the rule of law and respect for human dignity. Today’s statement acknowledges that the US “Taiwan relationship need not, and should not, be captivated by self-imposed restrictions on our permanent bureaucracy,” Pompeo wrote.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft will visit Taiwan this week to “strengthen the U.S. government’s strong and ongoing support for Taiwan’s international space,” Pompeo announced last week.

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