Secretary of State Pompeo lifted restrictions on US interactions with Taiwan on Saturday. Pompeo noted that the self-imposed restrictions were originally implemented “in an attempt to appease the Communist regime in Beijing” (source). The move is expected to increase tensions between the US and China.
More context: While Taiwan has its own democratically-elected government, China claims it as part of its territory under its “One China” policy. Previous agreements between the US and Taiwan (including a $2B arms sale) have drawn significant criticism from Chinese officials.
The New Paper
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