Taiwan FM hosts farewell dinner for US academics, discusses looming Chinese threat

On August 25, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu hosted a farewell dinner for US academics amid rising regional tensions with China. The US delegation included academics from the Hoover Institution. According to Taiwan's Foreign Ministry, the table discussion focused on China's growing military threat to Taiwan and regional peace. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also thanked the 'like-minded' US academics for their timely visit.

The Taiwanese foreign ministry, wrote on Twitter, "Minister Wu hosted a farewell dinner for the @HooverInst delegation co-led by Admiral James O. Ellis Jr. & @LarryDiamond. Table talk centered on #China’s rising military threat against #Taiwan & regional peace. We thank the like-minded #US academics for their timely visit."

Meanwhile, earlier, Taiwan's official Central News Agency reported that a US delegation will arrive in Taiwan on the evening of August 25 and will meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. According to the news agency, a group of US congressmen will arrive at Taipei's Songshan Airport late Thursday.

On August 26, the delegation will meet with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials in the morning. This would be the third American delegation to visit the Chinese-claimed island this month, following Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, who visited earlier this month.

China-Taiwan Conflict

In response to Pelosi's visit, China held military drills near Taiwan. China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has stated that if necessary, it will use force to unite the two territories. and has vowed to seize it. 

Despite defying China, Pelosi's visit was pivotal for Taiwan because she is the highest-ranking elected official from the United States to visit Taiwan in 25 years. Her visit, however, has heightened geopolitical tensions between China and the US, with Beijing conducting large-scale military exercises in the waters surrounding Taiwan.

On the other hand, Taiwan has alleged that China is using Pelosi's visit as a pretext to start military exercises in anticipation of an invasion. It held its own drills simulating an invasion of its main island by the Chinese. China announced that it would stop its drills but would still patrol the Taiwan Strait.

Image: Twitter@MOFA_Taiwan