Daily US Times: The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the US is lifting long-standing restrictions on contacts between American and Taiwan officials.
The US state department said in a statement. The “self-imposed restrictions” were introduced decades ago to “appease” the mainland Chinese government, which lays claim to the island.
These rules are now “null and void”.
The decision is likely to anger China and increase tensions between Beijing and Washington.
It comes as the Trump administration enters its final days ahead of the inauguration of president-elect’ Joe Biden as president on 20 January.
China regards Taiwan as its breakaway province, but leaders of Taiwan argue that it is a sovereign state.
Relations between the two are frayed and there is a constant threat of a violent flare up that could drag in the US, an ally of Taiwan.
Mr Pompeo said in a statement on Saturday that the US state department had introduced complicated restrictions limiting the communication between American diplomats and their Taiwanese counterparts.
The US Secretary of State said: “Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions.”
“Today’s statement recognises that the US-Taiwan relationship need not, and should not, be shackled by self-imposed restrictions of our permanent bureaucracy.”
He added that Taiwan was a reliable US partner and a vibrant democracy, and that the restrictions were no longer valid.
Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked Mr Pompeo, following the announcement, saying he was “grateful”.
In a tweet, he wrote: “The closer partnership between Taiwan and the US is firmly based on our shared values, common interests and unshakeable belief in freedom and democracy.”
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