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WORLD NEWS Monday 11 January 2021
Chinese state media blast latest Pompeo move on Taiwan

By KEN MORITSUGU plies military equipment for came two days after he
Associated Press the island’s defense. said he would send Kelly
BEIJING (AP) — China’s Taiwan’s leaders wel- Craft, the U.S. ambassa-
state media lashed out at comed Pompeo’s an- dor to the United Nations,
the latest move on Taiwan nouncement. to Taiwan for meetings this
by the departing Trump “We are expressing our week.
administration, accus- gratitude toward the U.S. She is due to arrive on
ing U.S. Secretary of State for speaking out and sup- Wednesday.
Mike Pompeo of “seeking porting Taiwan,” Premier Su Craft’s trip follows one by
to maliciously inflict a long- Tseng-chang told reporters. Health and Human Ser-
lasting scar on China-U.S. “We also hope to interact vices Secretary Alex Azar
ties.” actively with each other in August, the first Cabinet
A writer for the official Xi- further, so that Taiwan member to visit Taiwan
nhua News Agency also could have an even bigger since 2014, and another by
said in a commentary Sun- space in the international Under Secretary of State
day that the lifting of long- society.” Keith Krach in September. In this Nov. 24, 2020, file photo, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
standing restrictions on U.S. He and Foreign Minister China, which opposes Tai- speaks to the media prior to meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign
Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah at the
government contacts with Joseph Wu, who thanked wan having its own for- State Department in Washington.
Taiwanese counterparts Pompeo on Twitter, em- eign relations, sharply criti- Associated Press
proves that Pompeo “is phasized the values of cizes all such interaction. It
only interested in stoking freedom and democracy stepped up aerial patrols Health Organization’s an- nouncement is the new
unwarranted confronta- shared by Taiwan and the off Taiwan last year and nual meeting. starting point for America’s
tions, and has no interest in U.S. — a contrast to China’s used its diplomatic clout Hu Xijin, the editor of Chi- Taiwan policy, it will also
world peace.” authoritarian one-party to block Taiwan from par- na’s state-owned Global mark the start of the count-
Another commentary post- state. ticipating in international Times newspaper, tweet- down for the survival of Tai-
ed online by CGTN, the Pompeo’s announcement forums, such as the World ed that if Pompeo’s an- wan’s government.q
English-language chan-
nel of state broadcaster
CCTV, called Pompeo’s
announcement “a cow-
ardly act of sabotage” of
the next U.S. administra-
tion.
“The Trump administration,
in its continuing efforts to
burn the house down be-
fore leaving office, has
crossed a dangerous red
line with China days before
incoming President Joe
Biden takes office,” the
commentary read in part.
Biden takes office on Jan.
20.
There was no immedi-
ate comment from the
Chinese government on
Pompeo’s decision to end
State Department restric-
tions on how U.S. officials
can interact with Taiwan,
which he said had been
implemented to appease
the Communist regime in
Beijing.
Taiwan is a sensitive issue
for China’s ruling Commu-
nist Party, which considers
the self-governing island of
23.6 million people a rene-
gade province that should
be brought under its rule.
Under the one-China poli-
cy, the U.S. recognizes Bei-
jing as the government of
China and doesn’t have
diplomatic relations with
Taiwan.
However, it maintains un-
official contacts including
a de facto embassy in Tai-
pei, the capital, and sup-