US ambassador Kelly Craft meets Taiwan official James KJ Lee in New York

US Ambassador Kelly Craft had lunch with Taiwan’s top official James KJ Lee in New York on Thursday, September 17. As per reports, she termed meeting as “historic” and a step ahead in strengning US relations with Taiwan. Craft said, “I’m looking to do right thing by my president, and I feel that he has sought to strengn and deepen this bilateral relationship with Taiwan and I want to continue that on behalf of administration”. 

Read: US Official To Visit Taiwan This Weekend To Attend Memorial Service Of Lee Teng-hui

US and Taiwan strengn relations 

According to reports, Craft said that Lee invited her to lunch and she accepted. She said, “It was a nice way for host country to welcome him to New York and to hear about his family and his experience, and obviously his respect and admiration for Chinese people” as well as “many, many invations in techlogy ... that Taiwan has to offer world”.

Craft's meeting with Lee in New York came just a day before US Undersecretary of State Keith Krach is due to arrive in Taiwan to participate in an ecomic dialogue with Taiwanese government. He will also attend memorial service for Taiwan’s former President, who led island’s transition to democracy and who died in July.

Read: China Justifies Military Drills Near Taiwan As 'necessary Action' To Defend Sovereignty

Krach’s trip has already been condemned by Beijing, as it views self-governing island as a part of its national territory and opposes official interaction of any sort between or countries and Taiwan. Earlier this week, China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin had urged US to stop all forms of official exchanges with Taiwan, so as to avoid serious dam to China-US relations as well as peace and stability in Taiwan Strait. 

Meanwhile, Trump administration is supporting Taiwan’s inclusion as a separate entity in international organisations like World Health Organisation and International Civil Aviation Organisation.

Read: U.S. Envoy Leading Second Recent High-level Visit To Taiwan

Also Read: US Unseals Indictments Against Chinese Hackers, Malaysian Businessmen

(Im Credits: AP)