Washington does not intend to give in to Beijing’s threats. A US governor met with Taiwan’s president on Monday, several days after Washington announced trade talks with Taipei and amid heightened tensions with China over sovereignty over the island. Eric Holcomb, the Republican governor of the US state of Indiana, landed in Taiwan on Sunday for a trip officially devoted largely to economic issues.
He spoke on Monday with President Tsai Ing-wen who, in opening the meeting to the media, made direct reference to the military exercises conducted by Beijing and called on “the (democracies) allies” to “unite and strengthen their cooperation in all fields” in the face of “the expansion of authoritarianism” throughout the world. The United States and Taiwan “share many interests, common values and objectives (…). We will continue to seek to build a strategic partnership with you,” the US governor said. Eric Holcomb is expected to meet with representatives of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, a world leader in the field, before heading to South Korea on Wednesday.
Tensions with Beijing
Tensions between the United States and China have been high since the Chinese authorities considered a provocation of the visit to the island in early August by the speaker of the American House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.
Beijing responded by imposing trade sanctions on Taiwan and with unprecedented exercises in the air and waters of the Taiwan Strait. Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has promised to regain it one day, by force if necessary, is irritated at each diplomatic act advancing towards official recognition of the island.