Mike Pompeo cancels restrictions on contacts with Taiwan

The head of U.S. diplomacy, Mike Pompeo, on Saturday cancelled all restrictions imposed over the years on U.S. officials in their contacts with Taiwan, who welcomed the decision.

"The State Department has created complex internal restrictions to regulate the interactions of our diplomats, military and other officials in their relations with their Taiwanese counterparts," the secretary said in a statement.

"The United States took these measures unilaterally to satisfy the communist regime in Beijing. It's over," he added.

He did not specify the nature of the restrictions and the announcement is largely symbolic, with a 2018 law already allowing "officials from all levels of government, including cabinet members with national security functions, military and other government officials to travel to Taiwan and meet with their Taiwanese counterparts.

Taiwan's ambassador to the United States, Hsiao Bi-khim, welcomed the decision. "This is the end of decades of discrimination," she wrote on Twitter. "This is a very great day for our bilateral relationship. I look forward to every opportunity," she added.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu also welcomed the lifting of "restrictions that unnecessarily limited our relationship.

"The close partnership between Taiwan and the United States is solidly based on our shared values and interests and an unshakeable belief in freedom and democracy," he added.

Pompeo's announcement, however, less than two weeks before the end of President Donald Trump's term, is expected to provoke a furore in Beijing, which considers Taiwan an integral part of China and which has already violently protested an announced visit to Taiwan by U.S. Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft.

Craft is scheduled to visit Taipei January 13-15 for talks with Taiwanese officials. She is also scheduled to deliver a speech on "Taiwan's impressive contributions to the global community and the importance of meaningful and expanded Taiwanese participation in international organizations," according to the State Department.

China, which still considers the island territory to be part of China and believes that any travel to Taipei by foreign leaders would give legitimacy to the Taiwanese authorities, has threatened to charge the United States "a heavy price" if the trip takes place.

"Not an exception"

Last year, Donald Trump's outgoing administration had already sent officials to Taiwan against the backdrop of heated U.S.-Chinese trade, security and human rights disputes.

Under Trump's presidency, Washington and Taipei grew closer, with the U.S. president approving, among other things, an estimated $18 billion in arms sales to Taiwan.

Conversely, Sino-US relations have continued to deteriorate.

Pompeo does not go so far as to want to completely normalize relations with Taiwan, a decision over which he has no authority anyway. He says relations with the island will continue to go through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private organization that acts as the U.S. embassy in Taipei.

But the U.S. government "maintains relations with unofficial partners around the world, and Taiwan is no exception," he said.

Washington broke off diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 to recognize Beijing, but the U.S. passed a law the same year stating that it would have to help Taiwan defend itself in the event of a conflict.

Since then, Washington remains the island's most powerful ally and its number one arms supplier.

Taiwan, which enjoys a democratic system, lives under constant threat from China, which considers it a rebel province that will one day return to its fold, and by force if necessary.

Source : AFP