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US and China in ‘frequent, clear and candid’ dialogue on Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen’s visit, American envoy says
- ‘Smooth and successful’ transit predicted by senior State Department official who reiterates Washington’s depiction of such stopovers as routine
- But Chinese diplomat says any suggestion Tsai Ing-wen should get credit for a supposedly low-key approach misses the point
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American officials’ “frequent, clear and candid” dialogues with counterparts in Beijing on Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit should help temper mainland China’s response, a senior State Department diplomat said on Thursday.
Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, also expected a “smooth and successful” transit of the United States by the island’s leader.
He made the comment after Tsai landed in New York on Wednesday local time. She is expected to stay two nights before heading to Guatemala on Friday as part of a 10-day trip that will also include Belize, another Central American ally.
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On her way back to Taiwan, Tsai is due to stop over in Los Angeles for two nights starting on April 4, where she is expected to meet US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Against a backdrop of high tensions between the US and China, “frequent communications” are taking place between Washington and Beijing regarding Tsai’s visit and a range of other issues, Kritenbrink told a press conference on Thursday.
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“We’ve had clear and candid exchanges as we often do on issues related to the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
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