Pentagon’s top China official has arrived in Taiwan: Reports
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China views Taiwan as its own territory and has repeatedly demanded that foreign officials not visit the island.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TAIPEI – The Pentagon’s top China official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Michael Chase, has arrived in Taiwan for a visit, the Financial Times reported on Friday citing a source, on a trip that could exacerbate tension between Beijing and Washington.
Taiwan’s defence and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and neither did the Pentagon.
Speaking earlier on Friday, Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said he was “not very certain” about a report that the trip would take place.
Asked whether Dr Chase would be coming, Mr Chiu said “those who are friendly to us” are very welcome.
“But so far it is not very certain,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a Parliament session.
“I won’t explain the details,” he added. “I won’t explain until I get formal notification.”
Dr Chase would be the most senior US defence official to visit the island since 2019.
China and the United States are involved in a bitter spat over the US military’s shooting down of what it called a Chinese spy balloon
China regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified, by force if necessary. Beijing has repeatedly demanded that foreign officials not visit the island.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin reiterated that the government was firmly opposed to official interactions and military ties between the US and Taiwan.
China staged war games near Taiwan last August to express its anger at a Taipei visit by then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Although the US, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is the island’s most important arms supplier and the two have a close security relationship, with US defence officials on occasion visiting.
In 2020, a two-star navy admiral overseeing US military intelligence in the Asia-Pacific region made an unannounced visit to Taiwan. REUTERS
