US UN ambassador meets virtually with Taiwan president

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft met virtually with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday, after her trip was canceled in the final days of President Donald Trump's administration. Tsai thanked Craft at the opening of the virtual meeting for the staunch support for Taiwan's international participation and efforts to deepening of the Taiwan-U.S. relationship.

"Moving forward, we will keep pushing for our participation in the United Nations, and U.N. affiliated meetings and events and I hope that the United States will continue to support our efforts," Tsai said. The announcement last week that Craft would visit Taiwan sparked sharp criticism from China and a warning that "the United States will pay a heavy price for its wrong action."

China considers Taiwan a renegade province and has stepped up threats to bring the island under its control. American relations with Taiwan have warmed under Trump, largely due to strong bipartisan support in Congress, but also because the administration has been willing to defy Beijing's threats and promote Taiwan as an alternative to Chinese Communist Party authoritarianism.

Taiwan left the United Nations in 1971 when China joined, and Beijing has been using its diplomatic clout to stop Taiwan from joining any organizations that require statehood for membership.