China condemns US envoy's visit to Taiwan, says it will encourage 'separatist forces'

Following the announcement of senior US State Department official's visit to Taiwan for a memorial service of former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui, China slammed the move as encouraging “separatist forces” on the island that it considers a breakaway province. According to reports, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told the reporters that China ‘strongly opposes’ the high-level visit by US Secretary for Economic Affairs Keith Krach to Taiwan on September 19 because according to China, it will ‘encourage the arrogant attitude of Taiwan independence separatist forces’. 

According to the official press release, Krach’s three-day visit would include a meeting with Taiwanese President  Tsai Ing-wen and other nation’s officials and he will also be the highest-level official from the State Department to visit the island in decades. His visit also follows the high-profile visit in August of US Health Secretary Alex Azar, who was the highest-level US Cabinet official to visit since a break in the formal ties between the US and Taiwanese government in 1979 when the US accepted the ‘one-China policy’ with Beijing as its government.

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

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Krach to participate in economic dialogue with Taiwan

Krach will be participating in an economic dialogue with the Taiwanese government. He will also attend the memorial service for Taiwan’s former President, who led the island’s transition to democracy and who died in July. Meanwhile, Krach’s trip has already been condemned by Beijing, as they view self-governing Taiwan as a part of its national territory and oppose official interaction of any sort between other countries and the island. Earlier this week, Wenbin had urged the US to stop all forms of official exchanges with Taiwan, so as to avoid serious damage to China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. 

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