US and Taiwanese officials meet to discuss ‘meaningful’ UN role for island
- The State Department says the meeting looked at ways to allow Taipei to take part in international talks on issues such as climate change and public health
- Talks come days before Xi Jinping will address the UN to mark the 50th anniversary of Beijing taking its UN seat

US and Taiwanese officials discussed plans to allow the island to “participate meaningfully” at the United Nations on Friday in the latest move to upgrade Washington’s relationship with the island.
The US State Department said in a statement released on Sunday that “high-level representatives” of the US State Department and Taiwan’s foreign ministry had discussed “expanding Taiwan’s participation at the United Nations and in other international fora”.
China’s foreign ministry did not reply to requests for comment.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry expressed “gratitude for US firm support”.
Participants included acting principal deputy assistant secretary for international organisations Hugo Yon, deputy assistant secretary for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia Rick Waters and Taiwan’s de facto deputy ambassador in Washington Wang Liang-yu, the statement said.