TOP US OFFICIAL TO VISIT TAIWAN IN FIRST SUCH TRIP SINCE 1979

WASHINGTON/BEIJING: The US secretary of health and human services is scheduled to visit Taiwan in the coming days in the highestlevel visit by an American cabinet official since the break in formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Taipei in 1979.

The visit by Alex Azar, and a planned meeting with Taiwan’s president, has irked China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary.

China said on Wednesday the planned visit was endangering peace and stability in the region. “China firmly opposes official exchanges between the US and Taiwan,” Wang Wenbin, foreign ministry spokesman, said. “We urge the US to abide by the onechina principle.”

PHASE 1 CHINA TRADE DEAL TALKS VIA VIDEO Senior US and Chinese officials will review the implementation of their Phase 1 trade deal and likely air grievances during an August 15 videoconference.

US trade representative Robert Lighthizer and Chinese vice premier Liu He, the principal negotiators for the two countries, will participate in the meeting, a six-month review of the pact activated on February 15.