US official to visit Taiwan this weekend to attend memorial service of Lee Teng-hui

A senior US State Department official will visit Taiwan for a memorial service of former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui on September 19, Saturday. According to official press release, Secretary for Ecomic Affairs Keith Krach is our to arrive in Taiwan on Thursday afteron to begin a three-day visit that had already drawn a warning from China. Krach will be meeting President Tsai Ing-wen and or Taiwanese officials and he will also be highest-level official from State Department to visit island in decades. 

press statement read, “Under Secretary of State for Ecomic Growth, Energy, and Environment Keith Krach will travel to Taiwan to attend memorial service for former President Lee Teng-hui on September 19, 2020. United States hors President Lee’s legacy by continuing our strong bonds with Taiwan and its vibrant democracy through shared political and ecomic values”. 

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

READ: Hong Kong: Information On Reported Detentions In Taiwan

China condemns Krach’s visit 

Krach’s visit follows high-profile visit in August of US Health Secretary Alex Azar, who was highest-level US Cabinet official to visit since a break in formal ties between US and Taiwanese government in 1979 when US accepted ‘one-China policy’ with Beijing as its government. Krach’s trip also comes after US diplomat for East Asia, David Stilwell reportedly said last month that Washington would bolster ties with Taiwan by establishing new bilateral ecomic dialogue. 

Krach will be participating 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. Meanwhile, Krach’s trip has already been condemned by Beijing, as y view self-governing Taiwan as a part of its national territory and oppose official interaction of any sort between or countries and island. 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 and peace and stability across Taiwan Strait. 

READ: China Warns US Over US-Taiwan Ecomic Talks

READ: HK's Lam On Detainees In Mainland China And Taiwan