China to U.S.: Do NOT Let Taiwan President ���Transit��� Through Your Country Next Month
In the wake of what many cite as a troublesome breach of protocol realized when President-elect Donald Trump recently accepted a phone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, another prospective ���incident��� that stands to further strain relations between the U.S. and China could (literally) be visited on America���s doorstep next month, when Tsai plans to use America as a stopping point on her way to a visit to Guatemala.
China has requested that the U.S. officials refuse to allow Tsai to stop off in America as a part of her trip. In a statement delivered to Reuters, China���s Foreign Ministry indicated that it hopes the U.S. ���does not allow her transit, and does not send any wrong signals to ���Taiwan independence��� forces.���
Tsai is scheduled to visit Guatemala on Jan. 11 and 12, and it has been revealed that she plans to briefly visit New York City on her way to the Central
American nation. Guatemala is one of a handful of nations that maintain official diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan).
It does not appear, however, that the U.S. State Department is inclined to accommodate the request made by the People���s Republic. According to State, such ���transits��� are in keeping with ���long-standing U.S. practice, consistent with the unofficial nature of (U.S.) relations with Taiwan.���
It is possible that China���s hackles are raised just a bit more than they might otherwise be over Tsai���s anticipated stopover in the U.S., precisely because it is coming so soon after the now-infamous telephone call, as well as because the Taiwan president would be in the country just a handful of days before Trump���s inauguration. In fact, according to reporting by Taiwan���s Liberty Times, Tsai is expected to try to arrange a meeting with members of Trump���s team, including Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, while she is in the United States.
By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large
