Taiwanese officials visit US for secret 'special channel' meeting

According to the Financial Times on August 23, this is the first such visit since Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te took office, replacing his predecessor Tsai Ing-wen in May.

Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen stands next to US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (left) in Taiwan on April 8, 2023.

According to sources familiar with the visit, Lam Ka-lung and Taiwan's national security adviser, Joseph Wu, were in Washington to prepare for the meeting through a "special channel." The sources did not disclose the location or time of the discussions.

There has been no response from China to the above information.

The US and Taiwan have held “special channel” talks for years. The Financial Times first revealed the channel’s existence three years ago, when Mr Wu led a delegation to meet US officials in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Financial Times added that the last “special channel” between the US and Taiwan was held in February 2023. In the past, such meetings have often taken place far from Washington to avoid Beijing’s reaction.

Randy Schriver, a former senior Pentagon official in charge of Asian affairs, told the Financial Times that the “special channel” was important because of the secret communications allowed due to the unofficial relationship between the US and Taiwan.

The news came just a day after the US Navy's 7th Fleet announced that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson was conducting a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait on August 22.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/quan-chuc-dai-loan-den-my-bi-mat-hop-kenh-dac-biet-1852408230714059.htm