US sending State Department official Keith Krach to Taiwan for Lee Teng-hui memorial service
- Move to honour the former Taiwanese president is likely to anger Beijing, which has warned of further damage to US-China relations
- United States has said it would bolster ties with island by establishing new economic dialogue
In the latest political victory for Taipei and a new slight for Beijing, the United States announced Wednesday that it would send a senior State Department official to attend the funeral of former Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui, known as the island’s “father of democracy”.
The visit by undersecretary of state Keith Krach is sure to rankle China, which considers the self-governed island a renegade province to be reunified by force if necessary.
President Donald Trump began his administration in January 2017 with a call to his Taiwanese counterpart, Tsai Ing-wen. Since then, Taipei has hosted its most senior US cabinet member since 1979, signed seven major arms deals worth US$13.3 billion, granted Tsai a 12-day “stopover” in the US and benefited from several new US laws and partnership agreements.
“The United States honours President Lee’s legacy by continuing our strong bonds with Taiwan and its vibrant democracy through shared political and economic values,” the State Department said on Wednesday when announcing Krach’s trip.
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US Health Secretary Alex Azar pays tribute to late Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui
The memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, and Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Krach would arrive in Taipei on Thursday.