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A30 world news
Dialuna 11 Januari 2021

Chinese state media blast latest Pompeo move on Taiwan

Biden takes office on Jan. 20. Pompeo’s announcement. China, which opposes Tai-
There was no immediate wan having its own foreign
comment from the Chinese “We are expressing our grati- relations, sharply criticizes all
government on Pompeo’s tude toward the U.S. for such interaction. It stepped
decision to end State Depart- speaking out and supporting up aerial patrols off Taiwan
ment restrictions on how Taiwan,” Premier Su Tseng- last year and used its diplo-
U.S. officials can interact chang told reporters. “We matic clout to block Taiwan
with Taiwan, which he said also hope to interact actively from participating in inter-
had been implemented to ap- with each other further, so national forums, such as the
pease the Communist regime that Taiwan could have an World Health Organization’s
in Beijing. even bigger space in the in- annual meeting.
ternational society.”
“No more,” Pompeo de- Hu Xijin, the editor of Chi-
clared in a statement Satur- He and Foreign Minister Jo- na’s state-owned Global
day. “Today I am announcing seph Wu, who thanked Pom- Times newspaper, tweeted
that I am lifting all of these peo on Twitter, emphasized that if Pompeo’s announce-
self-imposed restrictions.” the values of freedom and ment is the new starting
(AP) — China’s state me- frontations, and has no inter- democracy shared by Taiwan point for America’s Taiwan
dia lashed out at the lat- est in world peace.” Taiwan is a sensitive issue and the U.S. — a contrast to policy, it will also mark the
est move on Taiwan by the for China’s ruling Commu- China’s authoritarian one- start of the countdown for
departing Trump admin- Another commentary posted nist Party, which considers party state. the survival of Taiwan’s gov-
istration, accusing U.S. online by CGTN, the Eng- the self-governing island of ernment.
Secretary of State Mike lish-language channel of state 23.6 million people a rene- Pompeo’s announcement
Pompeo of “seeking to broadcaster CCTV, called gade province that should be came two days after he said “(China’s) fighter jets can fly
maliciously inflict a long- Pompeo’s announcement “a brought under its rule. he would send Kelly Craft, over Taiwan island anytime,”
lasting scar on China-U.S. cowardly act of sabotage” of the U.S. ambassador to the he tweeted. “The option of
ties.” the next U.S. administration. Under the one-China policy, United Nations, to Taiwan using military means to solve
“The Trump administration, the U.S. recognizes Beijing for meetings this week. She is (the) Taiwan question will
A writer for the official Xin- in its continuing efforts to as the government of China due to arrive on Wednesday. also be put on the table.”
hua News Agency also said burn the house down before and doesn’t have diplomatic Craft’s trip follows one by
in a commentary Sunday that leaving office, has crossed relations with Taiwan. How- Health and Human Services Hu’s tweet was later deleted,
the lifting of longstanding a dangerous red line with ever, it maintains unofficial Secretary Alex Azar in Au- but the reason was not clear.
restrictions on U.S. govern- China days before incoming contacts including a de facto gust, the first Cabinet mem- Pompeo said that the U.S.
ment contacts with Taiwan- President Joe Biden takes of- embassy in Taipei, the capital, ber to visit Taiwan since 2014, maintains relationships with
ese counterparts proves that fice,” the commentary read and supplies military equip- and another by Under Secre- unofficial partners around
Pompeo “is only interested in part. ment for the island’s defense. tary of State Keith Krach in the world, and that Taiwan is
in stoking unwarranted con- Taiwan’s leaders welcomed September. no exception.

Afghan officials: Bomb kills 3 in Kabul amid peace talks

(AP) — A roadside bomb explod- lence and both sides are blaming each tion on a check post of the Taliban lo-
ed in Afghanistan's capital Sun- other. cated on the western highway where The Watson Institute of International
day, killing at least three people the insurgent group was “collecting and Public Affairs, a research center
in a vehicle. It was the latest at- The stop-and-go talks between the extortion money from people." The at Brown University, said in its report
tack to take place as government Taliban and the government come airstrike was carried out to support that 70 Afghan civilians have been
negotiators in Qatar resume amid growing doubt over a U.S.-Tal- the operation, the statement said. killed in the third quarter of last year,
peace talks with the Taliban. iban peace deal brokered by outgoing compared to 86 killed in the first six
President Donald Trump's adminis- According to the statement, the Af- months of 2020.
Tariq Arian, spokesman for the interi- tration. An accelerated withdrawal of ghan defense ministry will investigate
or minister, said a spokesman for the U.S. troops ordered by Trump means the civilian casualties. In its report, the institute also said
ministry's public protection forces just 2,500 American soldiers will still that from 2017 through 2019, civilian
— a security force — was one of the be in Afghanistan when President- A U.S.-based institute warned in deaths due to U.S. and allied forces’
three killed in the attack. One other elect Joe Biden takes office on Jan. 20. December that there has been a dra- airstrikes in Afghanistan dramatically
person was wounded he said. matic increase in airstrikes conducted increased. In 2019, airstrikes killed
Biden has advocated for keeping a by Afghan government forces from 700 civilians — more civilians than in
No one immediately claimed respon- small intelligence-based presence in July to September in 2020, attacks any other year since the beginning of
sibility. Afghanistan, but Taliban leaders have that have led to a sharp rise in civilian the war in 2001 and 2002.
flatly rejected any foreign troops. casualties.
The Islamic State group has claimed
responsibility for multiple attacks The attack comes after an airstrike
in the capital in recent months, in- Saturday that killed at least 12 civil-
cluding on educational institutions ians in western Nimroz province of
that killed 50 people, most of them Afghanistan, the officials said.
students. IS has claimed responsibil-
ity for rocket attacks in December Nimroz provincial council chief Baz
targeting the major U.S. base in Af- Mohammad Naser said Sunday that
ghanistan. There were no casualties. the victims are members of two fami-
Taliban militants have meanwhile lies.
continued their insurgency against
government forces while keeping One of the victims of the airstrike
their promise not to attack U.S. and who was wounded is hospitalized,
NATO troops. said Nasir Ahmad Hebat, the provin-
Sunday's attack comes as Afghan ne- cial health department chief.
gotiators are to resume talks with the
Taliban aimed at ending decades of The Afghan defense ministry said in
relentless conflict. Frustration and a statement that national defense and
fear have grown over a spike in vio- security forces conducted an opera-