US envoy begins visit to Taiwan:

US Undersecretary of State Keith Krach arrived in Taiwan on Thursday for the second visit by a high-level American official in two months, prompting a stern warning and threat of possible retaliation from China.

Beijing considers Taiwan its own and opposes all official contacts between other countries and the self-governing island.

Krach arrived at an air force base in Taipei, the capital, for a three-day visit. Wearing a face mask, he bumped elbows in greetings with Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Harry Ho-Jen Tseng.

Krach, the highest-level State Department official to visit the island in decades, is to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ingwen and other senior officials, the island’s foreign ministry said.

The visit by Krach, who is undersecretary for economic growth, energy and the environment, follows a high-profile trip in August by US Health Secretary Alex Azar, the highest-level US Cabinet official to visit since the US switched formal relations from Taiwan to China in 1979. (AP)