Pentagon’s prime official arrives in Taiwan amid US-China tensions

Chase could be probably the most senior US defence official recognized to have visited the island since 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic extensively impacted US authorities journey.

Taipei,UPDATED: Feb 18, 2023 07:18 IST

Both Taiwan’s Defence Ministry and the Pentagon declined to touch upon the journey. (File photograph/Reuters)

By Reuters: The Pentagon’s prime China official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Chase, has arrived in Taiwan, two sources acquainted with the matter mentioned on Friday, starting a go to that might exacerbate tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Both Taiwan’s Defence Ministry and the Pentagon declined to touch upon the journey, which was first reported by the Financial Times.

“We don’t have a comment on specific operations.. but I would highlight that our support for, and defence relationship with, Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People’s Republic of China,” a Pentagon spokesperson mentioned.

The sources supplied no additional particulars on Chase’s journey, and spoke to Reuters on situation of anonymity.

Speaking earlier, Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng mentioned he was “not very certain” a few report that the journey would happen.

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Chiu, requested whether or not Chase could be coming, mentioned “those who are friendly to us” are very welcome,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a parliament session.

“I will not clarify the small print,” he said. “I will not clarify till I get formal notification.”

Chase could be probably the most senior U.S. defence official recognized to have visited the island since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic extensively impacted U.S. authorities journey.

China, which views Taiwan as its personal territory, has repeatedly demanded that overseas officers not go to the democratically ruled island.

China and the United States are concerned in a bitter dispute over the U.S. army’s capturing down of what it referred to as a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina this month. China says the balloon was for monitoring climate.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese overseas ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated that the federal government was firmly against official interactions and army ties between the United States and Taiwan.

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China staged warfare video games close to Taiwan final August to precise its anger at a Taipei go to by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Although the United States, like most international locations, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it’s the island’s most necessary arms provider and the 2 have a detailed safety relationship.

In 2020, a two-star Navy admiral overseeing U.S. army intelligence within the Asia-Pacific area made an unannounced go to to Taiwan.

Separately, a U.S. bipartisan delegation is heading to Taiwan this weekend to bolster ties between Silicon Valley and Taiwan’s semiconductor business, in keeping with an announcement by Representative Ro Khanna, a member of the U.S. House China choose committee.

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Published On:

Feb 18, 2023