US should recognize ′free′ Taiwan, says ex-top diplomat Pompeo | News | DW

Former United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday referred to as for the US to formally give diplomatic recognition to Taiwan.

“It is my view the US authorities ought to instantly and take essential and long-overdue steps to do the suitable and apparent factor, that’s to supply the Republic of China (Taiwan) America’s diplomatic recognition as a free and sovereign nation,” he mentioned throughout a nonofficial go to to the island.

“It is the truth. It is the very fact … there is not any want for Taiwan to declare independence as a result of it is already an unbiased nation,” he informed a discussion board held by Taipei-based assume tank, the Prospect Basis. 

Mike Pompeo (left) and the president of the Prospect Basis, Lai I-Chung, do an elbow bump

Beijing, which considers self-ruled Taiwan part of China, slammed the feedback. Chinese language International Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin mentioned, “Pompeo is a former politician whose credibility has lengthy gone bankrupt. Such an individual’s babbling nonsense may have no success.”

Pompeo additionally spoke in regards to the struggle in Ukraine and praised Taiwan for being on the frontlines of the battle between “freedom and tyranny.”

US-Taiwan relations

The US ended formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 when it established diplomatic relations with the Individuals’s Republic of China. However, it stays Taiwan’s strongest unofficial ally.

The island, formally often known as the Republic of China (Taiwan), is claimed by China as its territory. The previous authorities of China had fled to Taiwan after dropping a civil struggle with the Communist Get together in 1949. 

Mike Pompeo served as Secretary of State and director of the CIA below former US President Donald Trump. Throughout his tenure, he stepped up official exchanges with Taiwan, however didn’t publicly advocate for its formal recognition.

After President Joe Biden took workplace in January 2021, Beijing imposed sanctions on Pompeo and 27 different Trump-era officers. 

Earlier than Trump’s period, the US had already imposed sanctions on China over human rights violations in Hong Kong and Taiwan. However tensions between the 2 international locations’ elevated throughout Trump’s presidency.

tg/nm (AFP, AP)