Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu has met with senior US government representatives in Washington for rare security policy talks.
The talks included US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and the head of the East Asia Department, Daniel Kritenbrink, Taiwanese news agency CNA reported.
China protested Wednesday against the United States’ official contacts with the government in Taiwan. The Beijing leadership considers the island part of the People’s Republic.
According to CNA’s report, the discreet conversations took place in the Washington office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). The AIT is the unofficial representation of the US in Taipei. Taiwan’s foreign minister declined to comment on the meeting. There was also no answer to whether this was the foreign minister’s first visit to the American capital. However, the meeting shows that the US government is less reserved in dealing with Taiwan.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin accused the Taipei government of seeking US support for independence. The spokesman said the US should not get involved in the Taiwan issue and should not increase tensions.
US President Donald Trump eased restrictions on travel to and contact with Taiwan for US government officials in 2018. President Joe Biden adopted those relaxations.