Taiwan’s vice president-elect and former ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Meiqin, is on a private visit to the United States this week and China has expressed “firm opposition” to the move, a senior Taiwan official and a U.S. spokesman said on Tuesday.
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Taiwan’s vice president-elect and former ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Meiqin, is on a private visit to the United States this week and China has expressed “firm opposition” to the move, a senior Taiwan official and a U.S. spokesman said on Tuesday.
China claims democratic governance over Taiwan, which it considers its own territory, despite Taiwan’s objections and has been angered by past visits to the United States by Taiwan’s president and vice president.
Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Liu Pengyu said that China “firmly opposes” any form of official interaction between the United States and “Taiwan Region” and called Xiao Meiqin a “stubborn “Taiwan independence” separatist.”
“We firmly oppose Xiao Meiqin’s visit to the United States in any name and under any pretext,” Liu said, adding that the United States should not “arrange any form of contact between U.S. government officials and Xiao Meiqin.” “
A Taiwanese official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that Xiao arrived in the United States this week and would spend the next few days on a low-key “personal trip” that would include packing personal belongings. The official declined to elaborate.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson also said Xiao was “handling personal matters in her personal capacity” and did not respond when asked whether she would meet with U.S. officials.
“The United States has a long history of Taiwanese officials transiting the border and visiting candidates and vice president-elect before they take office,” the spokesman said.
Hsiao served as Taipei’s de facto ambassador to the United States from 2020 until last year, when she entered Taiwan’s presidential race to be decided in January’s election.
Xiao, 52, speaks fluent English and has deep connections in Washington. Diplomatic sources told Reuters she could serve as a key intermediary between Taipei and Washington, Taiwan’s most important arms seller and international backer despite no formal ties.
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