The Financial Times reports that the Biden administration will issue guidelines to continue former President Trump‘s practice of lifting restrictions on U.S.-Taiwan relations, encouraging U.S. diplomats to meet with Taiwanese officials; however, the new guidelines will still set restrictions, including not displaying the Republic of China flag on any meeting occasions, and “anything related to sovereignty is not allowed.
Recently the Biden Administration has repeatedly shown its friendliness to Taiwan, and when Palauan President Huizhu Ren visited Taiwan on the 29th, U.S. Ambassador to Palau John Ni accompanied him on a rare visit.
Acting U.S. Ambassador to Japan Yang Zhou announced on his Twitter account that he had invited Taiwan’s representative to Japan, Hsieh Chang-ting, to his residence earlier that week. This is the first Time since the breakup of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the U.S. in 1979 that U.S. officials have invited Taiwan’s representative to Japan to the residence for an exchange.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Jan. 9 this year that restrictions on U.S.-Taiwan contacts would be lifted and that the executive branch could treat previous State Department guidelines on contacts with Taiwan as null and void. Many experts are waiting to see if the Biden administration will reverse this decision.
The Financial Times said people briefed on the policy by the Biden administration revealed that the new guidelines will retain many parts of the Trump Administration‘s U.S.-Taiwan engagement policy, which focuses on encouraging U.S. officials to meet with their Taiwanese counterparts, rather than setting limits on communication. Another source said most restrictions on U.S. interactions with Taiwan diplomats “will go away.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press conference yesterday that China’s position on U.S.-Taiwan contacts is very clear and consistent and that it is “firmly opposed to any form of official contacts between the U.S. and Taiwan and hopes that the U.S. side must pay great attention to China’s concerns and be careful in its words on Taiwan-related issues so as not to further damage Sino-U.S. relations.”
The U.S. Ambassador to Palau, John Hennessey-Niland, who arrived in Taiwan with Palauan President Huijuren, said this is the first two-way tourism bubble launched in the Indo-Pacific region since the outbreak of the global Newcastle pneumonia Epidemic; as the U.S. Ambassador to Palau, the focus is to work with partners and friends in Palau and the Pacific region. Working with each other to bring hope to the people after twelve months of fighting the epidemic, “there’s nothing more important than that.”
As to why U.S. Ambassador to Palau John Ni accompanied Palauan President Huizhong to Taiwan, the United Press quoted a U.S. State Department spokesman as saying that Taiwan is an advanced democracy and an important economic and security partner of the U.S. Supporting trade relations between Taiwan and Palau will help U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Wu Chiu-sup said that this time, John Ni visited Taiwan together, the outside world can see the close cooperation between the three parties, the tourism bubble can take shape, the U.S. side in the behind-the-scenes contribution a lot, the United States began in January this year to provide vaccines and other necessary supplies, so that the people of Palau more confident to start the plan, Taiwan also provides the necessary medical supplies, this is the tripartite cooperation; and the next Taiwan and the United States will cooperate in more areas, but also to ensure that He said that with John Ni’s visit, “we will only see the relationship getting closer and closer.
Wu Chiu-Shep hosted a noon banquet yesterday for Palau’s President and Mrs. Hui Jorin, and John Ni and AIT Director Li Yingjie went to the banquet together, and the three gave a brief talk before the luncheon.
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