Conflict between Taiwan and the US-China (PG)▶ Click here to enlarge
The Taiwanese government expressed its gratitude for mentioning the Taiwan issue in the first phone call with Chinese President Joe Biden on the 11th with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
According to Reuters, a spokesman for the Taiwanese President’s Office said in a statement, “I express my gratitude and respect for President Biden’s interest in security and human rights issues in the Taiwan Strait.”
He added, “As a member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to cooperate closely with countries with a will, including the United States, and will contribute to stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The White House said in a press release immediately after the call between President Biden and President Xi, “President Biden said that China’s coercive and unfair economic practices, repression of Hong Kong, human rights violations in Xinjiang, and more and more self-righteous in the region including Taiwan. It emphasized fundamental concerns about the behavior.”
On the other hand, according to China Central TV, Xi said, “The issue of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang is Chinese internal affairs,” and urged the US to respect China’s core interests and act carefully as it is a matter of China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The dramatic difference in position between the two countries was once again exposed.
Meanwhile, on the 10th (local time), Reuters reported that Taiwan and the United States held official talks in Washington for the first time since the inauguration of the Biden administration.
Xiao Mei-chin, who serves as Taiwan’s actual ambassador to the United States, met with Sung Kim, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, on the same day.
Since Taiwan cannot have an embassy in the United States, it has the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, which plays a similar role.
Representative Xiao received a lot of attention by attending the inauguration ceremony of President Biden on the 20th of last month.
This is the first time in 42 years after the break-up between the United States and Taiwan in 1979 when a representative from the Taiwanese government has been invited to the inauguration ceremony of the US president.
Reuters said, “Like other countries, the United States has no official diplomatic relationship with Taiwan, but the United States is Taiwan’s strongest international supporter and weapon supplier.”
[연합뉴스]
Copyrights ⓒ Yonhap News. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited