China hits out at US as Taiwan welcomes end to restrictions on ties

Taiwan has welcomed a decision by Mike Pompeo to lift restrictions on the interactions of officials

Credit: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

China lashed out at the United States on Monday for lifting decades-long curbs on interactions between American and Taiwanese officials, a move which Taiwan’s foreign minister embraced as a sign of “global partnership.”

Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, announced the change late on Saturday evening to scrap the “complex internal restrictions” that he said had been self-imposed “in an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing.” 

The abrupt shift in policy comes ahead of a last-minute unprecedented three-day visit by Kelly Craft, the US ambassador to the United Nations, who arrives in Taiwan on Wednesday. 

The developments are likely to inflame the already hostile relationship between Beijing and Washington in the waning days of the Trump presidency.

The Chinese Communist Party, which has never ruled Taiwan, claims the democratic island of 23 million as its own territory, and has threatened to invade if the Taiwanese do not accept Beijing’s terms. 

On Monday, the Chinese foreign ministry said it was “resolutely opposed” to Mr Pompeo’s decision and strongly condemned it. 

"The Chinese people’s resolve to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity is unshakable and we will not permit any person or force to stop the process of China’s re-unification," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.

Kelly Craft, the US ambassador to the UN, will visit Taiwan this week

Credit: Patrick Semansky/AP

However, Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s foreign minister, welcomed the development as a "big thing for the elevation of Taiwan-US relations".

He added, "Taiwan-US relations have been elevated to a global partnership. The foreign ministry will not let our guard down and hopes to continue to boost the development of Taiwan-US ties."

The United States has no official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, although it is bound by law to support the island with the means to defend itself.

Under President Trump, information relations have been strengthened through the visits of senior officials and arms sales have increased. 

The specifics of Pompeo’s decision remain undefined but it could mean that officials will be able to interact in more high-profile locations including the White House, which would be a sensitive issue for Beijing. 

Ambassador Craft’s visit is highly symbolic as China has increasingly tried to squeeze Taiwan’s presence out of international institutions, including UN bodies. Tsai Ing-wen, the Taiwanese president, who will meet Ms Craft on Thursday, described her trip as an “important milestone.”

I look forward to welcoming @USAmbUN Kelly Craft to Taiwan next week. Your visit marks an important milestone in the #US-#Taiwan partnership & highlights that #TaiwanCanHelp the international community.

— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) January 9, 2021

But foreign policy analysts have questioned both the timing and motivation behind the move to redefine relations with Taiwan and to send Ms Craft, whose visit to Taiwan was initially linked to Mr Pompeo’s criticism of the mass arrest of Hong Kong pro-democracy figures last week. 

The sudden announcements have raised fears that outgoing Republican officials may be using Taiwan to needle Beijing or to complicate early relations between China and the incoming Biden administration. 

“One of my concerns always is that Taiwan is going to be used as a means of expressing displeasure to Beijing,” said Margaret Lewis, a professor of Taiwanese and Chinese law at Seton Hall University. 

“The Biden administration was going to have to, at some point, articulate in clear terms its position on US-Taiwan relations. This move puts more pressure to articulate that framework on an accelerated timeline,” she said. 

Drew Thompson, an Asia specialist and former US defence official, said he was “conflicted” about Mr Pompeo’s decision. 

“I think removing arbitrary restrictions is the right approach, but this is not the right time,” he tweeted. “A blanket statement such as this, abrogating all of the guidance in place for years, without articulating what framework will replace it simply amplifies perceived chaos in DC.”