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US State Department Cancels UN Envoy's Trip to Taiwan

VOA News

   A scheduled trip to Taiwan by Kelly Craft, the U.S. Ambassador to the
   United Nations, has been cancelled by the U.S. State Department.

   Ambassador Craft was due to arrive in Taiwan Wednesday for a three-day
   visit that included meetings with President Tsai Ing-wen and other
   senior officials.

   But State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus issued a statement
   Tuesday saying the department was cancelling all official travel this
   week, citing the transition to the incoming administration of
   President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office next Wednesday, January 20.

   Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whose planned trip to Europe was also
   cancelled, issued a statement Saturday easing self-imposed restrictions
   on all contacts between U.S. diplomatic officials and their Taiwanese
   counterparts.

   Zhu Fenglian, a spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, told
   reporters Wednesday that it strongly opposes all official contacts
   between the United States and Taiwan.

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