Planned Taiwan visit by U.S. health chief angers China

TAIPEI: The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar’s planned visit to Taiwan, the highest level to be made by a US official in four decades, has angered China, which claims the island as its own.

Azar’s visit will worsen already poor Beijing-Washington relations, inflamed over trade, the pandemic and human rights, even as democratic Taiwan has welcomed the show of support in the face of unrelenting China pressure.

During his visit, Azar will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said, which may infuriate China further.

“Taiwan has been a model of transparency and cooperation in global health during the Covid-19 pandemic and long before it,” Azar said in a statement, describing the trip as “historic”.

“I look forward to conveying President Trump’s support for Taiwan’s global health leadership and underscoring our shared belief that free and democratic societies are the best model for protecting and promoting health.”

But China denounced the trip, saying it opposed any official interactions between the US and Taiwan and had lodged “stern representations” with Washington.

“Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in Sino-US relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

Azar would be accompanied by Mitchell Wolfe, chief medical officer of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and others.

Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said he was looking forward to the visit. “This is a major step forward.” – Reuters