How Donald Trump’s Taiwan hands approach cross-strait tensions as Tsai Ing-wen lands in America

As Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen prepares to pass through two American cities on her way to and from Latin America beginning on Sunday, a look at US President Donald Trump’s new line-up of Taiwan hands shows two top officials who have expressed willingness to revisit US policy toward the self-ruled Chinese island.

In the pro-Taiwan camp are John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser, and Randall Schriver, the assistant secretary of defence for Asian and Pacific security affairs.

Promoting the status quo has been James Heller, director of the Office of Taiwan Coordination at the State Department, the US government agency that usually handles Tsai’s transits.

Tsai will pass through Los Angeles on her way to Paraguay in South America and through Houston on her return journey from Belize in Central America.

The arrangements indicate that the Trump administration has adhered to the established way of conducting such transits – Taiwan’s president, vice-president, premier and vice-premier do not come to Washington – despite speculation that there might have been efforts to allow a US capital transit for Tsai.

Beijing has long objected to the US practice of allowing Taiwan’s leaders to use American territory for travel, a result of the one-China policy under which Taiwan is viewed as a wayward province that could be brought under the mainland’s rule by force if necessary.