Beijing urged not to overreact to Trump administration’s ‘desperate last act’ on Taiwan

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced he would remove constraints on official US engagements with Taiwan

But analysts say it would be better to wait for Joe Biden to come to power amid growing clamour for US President’s impeachment

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Mike Pompeo said the US restrictions on relations with Taiwan had been designed to “appease the Chinese Communist Party”. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:31pm, 10 Jan 2021Updated: 12:06pm, 11 Jan 2021

Beijing should remain calm in the face of a “final act of desperation” from the Trump administration, Chinese observers said after Mike Pompeo removed restrictions on official US interactions with Taiwan.

The US Secretary of State issued a statement on Saturday saying the previous restrictions on how American officials may interact with their Taiwanese government counterparts were “null and void”.

It followed Thursday’s announcement that Kelly Craft, the ambassador to the UN, would visit the island this week.

But some mainland Chinese observers argued Beijing should wait for Joe Biden’s inauguration amid growing pressure on Donald Trump to resign or be forced to quit after his supporters stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army continued to maintain military pressure on Taiwan, sending two warplanes over the waters to the southwest of Taiwan before Pompeo’s announcement on Saturday – a flight that was shadowed by a US Navy drone.

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