Pompeo said he was proud of his achievements while in office to try and normalize relations with Taiwan, including sending US officials to visit…reports Asian Lite News
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is currently on a visit to Taipei, received presidential honour from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday for his contribution to boosting relations with the island, media reported.
During a meeting at the presidential office in Taipei, Tsai thanked Pompeo for his long-time support and bestowed on him the Order of the Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon, one of Taiwan’s top honours.
“A visit from such a good friend as Secretary Pompeo attests to the strong Taiwan-US friendship,” reports quoted President Tsai as saying.
Former US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld is another previous honouree of the Order of the Brilliant Star.
Pompeo said he was proud of his achievements while in office to try and normalize relations with Taiwan, including sending US officials to visit, it was reported.
On Tuesday, an unofficial US delegation, headed by former US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Glenn Mullen, arrived in Taiwan for a two-day visit. The delegation also included former US Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan Meghan O’Sullivan and former US Defence Under Secretary Michele Angelique Flournoy.
“Currently, China’s military threat in the Taiwan Strait and across the region continues to grow through the efforts on limiting Taiwan’s international involvement or through the use of cognitive warfare and disinformation tactics against the Taiwanese society,” Tsai told a meeting with the unofficial US delegation.
The president noted that Taiwanese nationals “will not give up their beliefs because of these actions.”She added that Taiwan looks forward to “closer cooperation with the US and other countries on security issues in the region.”
Mullen said that the US will continue opposing any unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, adding that maintaining peace and stability in the region is in the interest not only of the US but also of the world.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter aircraft routinely violate Taiwanese airspace with incursions. The largest incursion so far this year occurred on January 23 when the PLA flew 39 aircraft into Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). However, the largest ever intrusion consisted of 56 aircraft on 4 October 2021.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday that Beijing condemned the US for sending the delegation to Taiwan. (ANI)
