Chinese jets violate Taiwan’s airspace after US health secy’s visit

Beijing, August 10

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China on Monday cried foul and lodged a “stern” diplomatic protest with the US over the visit of Health Services Secretary Alex Azar to Taipei, the first high-ranking American official to visit the self-ruled island in over four decades, while Chinese air force jets intruded into Taiwan’s airspace in an apparent show of force.

Azar kicked off his three-day visit by meeting Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

China, which considers the estranged island of Taiwan as part of its mainland, vociferously objects to any high-level foreign dignitaries meeting Taiwanese leaders.

Azar’s visit comes amid an all-time low in US-China relations and it was regarded as a major diplomatic setback for Beijing, which asserts that the ‘One-China’ policy constitutes the core of its foreign policy with all countries that established diplomatic relations with it. — PTI

‘Not in favour of US-Taiwan ties’

• Health Services Secretary Alex Azar’s visit comes amid an all-time low in US-China relations and it was regarded as a major diplomatic setback for Beijing.
• Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said “China opposes the US-Taiwan ties”.