Beijing hits out over Taiwan vice-president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim’s ‘personal’ trip to the US
- Island’s former de facto ambassador to Washington said to be travelling in private capacity
- Beijing opposes visit and urges Washington not to arrange ‘any form’ of official contact
The visit by Hsiao – former de facto ambassador to Washington who will be sworn in as vice-president in May – was confirmed by the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for Beijing’s embassy in Washington, said Beijing firmly opposed any visit by Hsiao to the US “in any name or under whatever pretext”, according to a Reuters report on Tuesday.
Liu called Hsiao a “diehard ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist” and said Washington should “not arrange any form of contact” between US government officials and Hsiao.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory that must be reunited – by force if necessary. The US, like most countries, does not recognise the self-ruled island as independent but is opposed to any forcible change to the status quo and is committed to arming the island.
Hsiao, 52, of the independence-leaning DPP, has been blacklisted and sanctioned twice by Beijing for “colluding with the US” and “provoking confrontation” between Taiwan and the mainland.