U.S., TAIWAN HOLD FIRST FORMAL MEETING UNDER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

Taiwan and the United States have held their first publicly acknowledged formal meeting in Washington under the new Biden administration, with the island’s de facto ambassador to the country calling on a senior State Department official.

President Joe Biden’s government, which took office on Jan. 20, has moved to reassure Chinese-claimed Taiwan that its commitment to them is “rock solid”, especially after China stepped up its military activity near the island shortly after Biden’s inauguration, Ben Blanchard reported for Reuters.

Taiwan’s defacto ambassador in Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, said she had met Sung Kim, acting US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, on Wednesday.

“I had a good meeting with US Asia-Pacific Acting Assistant Secretary Kim and his able team today, where we covered many issues of mutual interest, reflecting our strong and broad partnership,” she wrote on her Twitter account.

The State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs tweeted a picture of Hsiao and Kim meeting standing side by side, both wearing face masks. “The US is deepening ties with Taiwan, a leading democracy and important economic and security partner,” it said on its Twitter account. Hsiao last month attended Biden’s swearing in, the first time an inauguration committee had formally invited the island’s Washington representative, in what was viewed in Taipei as a good sign for future strong relations.

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