A senior member of US President Donald Trump's administration landed in Taiwan Sunday for Washington's highest level visit since switching diplomatic recognition to China in 1979, a trip Beijing has condemned.
During the three-day visit Health Secretary Alex Azar will meet President Tsai Ing-wen, who advocates Taiwan being recognised as a sovereign nation and is loathed by China's leaders.
Tsai's office said the meeting would take place Monday morning.
Azar is the most senior US cabinet member to visit Taiwan in decades and his visit comes as relations between the world's two biggest economic powers plunge to historic lows.
In recent days, Trump has ordered sweeping restrictions on popular Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat and the US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Hong Kong's leader over a tough law that curbs dissent.
Washington has billed the Taiwan trip as an opportunity to learn from the island's fight against the coronavirus and to celebrate its progressive values.
"This trip is a recognition of Taiwan's success in combating COVID-19 and a testament to the shared beliefs that open and democratic societies are best equipped to combating disease threats like COVID-19," a health and human services department official told reporters ahead of the visit.
But Beijing balks at any recognition of self-ruled Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory and vows to one day seize, by force if necessary.
It has described Azar's visit as a threat to "peace and stability", while China's defence minister warned against Washington making any "dangerous moves".
As well as meeting Tsai, Azar will hold talks with his counterpart Chen Shih-chung and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
He will also meet coronavirus experts and give a speech to public health students as well as alumni of a training programme with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Taiwan has become a poster child for defeating the coronavirus thanks to a well-honed track and tracing programme as well as firm border controls.
Despite its proximity and economic links to China it has recorded fewer than 500 infections and seven deaths.
In contrast the US has recorded the most deaths in the world with more than 160,000 fatalities.
– A cautious testing of China –
The rapidly deteriorating relationship between Beijing and Washington comes as Trump seeks re-election in November.
He is trailing in the polls to rival Joe Biden and has begun campaigning hard on an increasingly strident anti-Beijing message.
As public disapproval has grown for his handling of the epidemic, Trump has pivoted from his previous focus on striking a trade deal with China to blaming the country for the coronavirus crisis.
The two countries have clashed on a range of issues, from trade to espionage allegations and Beijing's human rights record such as the mass incarceration of Uighur Muslims and the political crackdown in Hong Kong.
Washington remains the leading arms supplier to Taiwan but has historically been cautious in holding official contacts with it.
Under Trump, relations with Taiwan have warmed dramatically and he has approved a number of major military sales, including F-16 fighter jets.
Douglas Paal, a former head of the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington's de facto embassy, said the Trump administration was still paying heed to China's red line — that no US official handling national security visit Taiwan.
Throughout the 1990s the United States sent trade officials to Taiwan with regularity.
The difference this time, he said, is the context, with Azar travelling at a time when relations between Washington and Beijing have hit a new low.
"Sending him to Taiwan shows respect for the old framework while putting a finger in China's eye at the same time," Paal said.
"The fact that they didn't choose to send a national security advisor or someone else suggests they are trying to come as close as possible to China's red line but don't want to cross it."
The last cabinet minister to visit Taiwan was in 2014 when the then head of the Environmental Protection Agency led a delegation.
Taiwan has also built broad, bipartisan support in Washington.
Tsai has been hailed not only for her decisive coronavirus response but also, among US Democrats, for her progressive views including advocacy of gay rights, unusual for an Asian leader.
Why the fuss? The US, Taiwan and China — a guide
Taipei (AFP) Aug 10, 2020 –
Why has the United States' highest-level visit to Taiwan for four decades sparked such anger from Beijing?
Here is a recap of the key issues surrounding the delicate relations between the US, China and Taiwan.
– Bitter history –
The deep rift between China and Taiwan dates back to China's civil war, which erupted in 1927 and pitted forces aligned with the Communist Party of China against the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) army.
Eventually defeated by Mao Zedong's communists, KMT chief Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan, which was still under KMT control.
From there, Chiang continued to claim the entirety of China — just as the mainland claimed Taiwan.
Taiwan's official name remains the Republic of China, while the mainland is the People's Republic of China.
For years both sides still formally claimed to represent all of China, although that landscape has changed in recent decades.
Since the late 1990s, Taiwan has transformed from an autocracy into a vibrant democracy and a distinct Taiwanese identity has emerged.
The current ruling party, led by President Tsai Ing-wen, regards Taiwan as a de facto sovereign nation, not part of China.
The KMT, now in opposition, is more supportive of better ties with Beijing, especially on trade and maintains the idea that Taiwan is part of China.
– Why the fuss? –
Washington cut formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, switching recognition to Beijing as the sole representative of China, with the mainland becoming a major trading partner.
But the United States at the same time maintained a decisive, if at times delicate, role in supporting Taiwan.
Under a law passed by Congress, the United States is required to sell Taiwan military supplies to ensure its self-defence against Beijing's vastly larger armed forces.
In recent decades US presidents have been somewhat reluctant to sell big-ticket items to Taiwan, fearful of incurring Beijing's wrath.
US President Donald Trump's administration has no such qualms and has approved a string of military sales, including an $8 billion fighter jet deal to replace Taiwan's ageing fleet.
– 'One China' policy –
In 1992, Taiwan and mainland China both pledged there is only "one China" but they agreed to disagree about what precisely that meant.
Only 14 nations, all in the developing world, and the Vatican still recognise Taiwan.
Beijing has tried hard to stop any international recognition for the island.
The United States, while recognising Beijing, is deliberately careful in its wording.
The United States says only that it "acknowledges" Beijing's claim to Taiwan — and leaves it for the two sides to work out a solution while opposing any use of force to change the status quo.
In practice, Taiwan enjoys many of the trappings of a full diplomatic relationship with the United States.
While there is no US embassy in Taipei, Washington runs a centre called the American Institute in Taiwan. In the United States, the island's diplomats enjoy the status of other nations' personnel.
Beijing is sensitive to any move that could amount to official recognition of Taiwan, such as when Tsai spoke by telephone to Trump after his election but before his inauguration.
The United States has pushed for Taiwan to be included in UN bodies such as the World Health Organization.
The topic is sure to come up during the visit of Alex Azar, the secretary of health and human services, who like many around the world has praised Taiwan's effective response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
