US State Department Cancels UN Envoy’s Trip to Taiwan
- by Leona Burton
- in World Media
- — Jan 13, 2021
The trip was already looking of limited diplomatic value with Pompeo not scheduled to meet any top European Union officials in Brussels.
But he also reportedly canceled a second stop to Luxembourg, whose foreign minister called Trump "a political pyromaniac" after the president's remarks led to the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol last week.
Craft's Taiwan trip appeared to be another part of an effort by Pompeo and President Donald Trump's Republican administration to lock in a tough approach to China before Democratic President-elect Joe Biden takes office on January 20. For weeks, Pompeo has at times boosted Trump's false claims of widespread voter fraud or declined to acknowledge Trump's electoral loss, even as he has overseen the agency's transition and met with Biden's pick to succeed him, Anthony Blinken.
Pompeo predicted that Trump's legacy will not be defined by the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol incited by the president in a bid to overturn his loss in the November election.
The United States called off last-minute trips by top envoys to its allies in Europe and Taiwan on Tuesday in a sudden diplomatic volte-face during the chaotic swansong days of the Trump administration.
More news: New York City to terminate Trump contracts after Capitol insurrectionThe Tsai administration will prioritize its pursuit of a free trade agreement with the U.S. Although Tsai lifted restrictions on imports of U.S. pork and beef in August - a move that carried domestic political cost - it was unable to forge such a pact with Trump's trade negotiators.
Pompeo's plans to leave his mark on ties between Taipei and Washington took a hit on Tuesday when the State Department announced the cancellation of a planned trip to Taiwan by Kelly Craft, the USA ambassador to the United Nations.
Just one day earlier, Ortagus announced that Pompeo would meet NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Sophie Wilmès, Belgian foreign minister and deputy prime minister.
The decision also grounded USA ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft's scheduled trip to Taiwan.
During the Trump administration, Taiwan has received unprecedented attention from the U.S.in the form of official high-level visits, support for Taiwan's inclusion in World Health Organization functions, and increased arms sales to the island. A spokesperson for Taiwan's representative office in Washington told ABC News they "understand and respect the transition priorities of the U.S. Department of State".
More news: Seven mass vaccination hubs open as United Kingdom faces dire warningsIt's unclear why Pompeo wanted to make the quick trip to Brussels with less than a week in the administration.
Trump's role in instigating a mob of his supporters to march on the Capitol triggered a major backlash from Republicans and Democrats in Congress as well as major corporations.
"Taiwan doesn't want to create friction with the incoming administration", she told AFP.
But Biden, who favors a far less confrontational diplomatic style that Trump, has given few details on what his Taiwan policy might be.
Taiwan's foreign ministry said on Tuesday it will continue to pursue a bilateral trade agreement with the U.S.
More news: Joe Manchin: 'Ill-advised' to impeach Trump now
