The United States is ready to provoke China on the very sensitive issue of Taiwan. Washington will soon send its most eminent delegation to the island since the Americans ceased to diplomatically recognize Taiwan. This move risks aggravating Sino-American tensions. Beijing indeed considers the island as a rebel province called to return one day to the bosom of Communist China.
Taipei confirms visit
The US office in charge of trade relations with Taiwan has confirmed that US Secretary of Health Alex Azar will head the delegation to visit the island. "This marks (...) the first visit of a member of the government in six years," said the American Institute of the island, adding that no member of the American government of such high rank has visited. "Since 1979". For their part, the Taipei authorities confirmed the next visit, specifying that Alex Azar would meet the Taiwanese ministers of Foreign Affairs and of Health on this occasion. Neither Taiwan nor the United States have specified the date of these meetings.
The United States remains Taiwan's primary arms supplier, but has traditionally been cautious about the nature of official bilateral contacts. However, this has changed since the election of Donald Trump who moved closer to Taiwan as relations deteriorated with Beijing. The last visit to Taiwan by a member of the US government was in 2014 by the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. The previous one dated back to 2000, when Bill Clinton's Transportation Secretary visited the island.
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