4 hours ago
TAIPEI, June 25 (Reuters) - China has been contacting U.S. states and private firms to discourage engagement with Taiwan and mischaracterising U.S. policy, but links with Taiwan should be expanded, three U.S. government departments said in joint letters.
The U.S. is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, to the constant anger of Beijing, which claims the independently ruled island as its territory.
The two letters from U.S. Departments of State, Agriculture and Commerce, one addressed to governor's offices and one to CEOs and business leaders, are dated June 16 but were released by the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan late on Wednesday.
Similarly worded, the letters say that China's embassy and consulates regularly contact local government offices or private business in the U.S. to "discourage engagement with Taiwan".
"In doing so, they often mischaracterise U.S. policy by, for example, falsely claiming that Washington has previously accepted Beijing's specific position on Taiwan," both the letters say.
The U.S. is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, to the constant anger of Beijing, which claims the independently ruled island as its territory.
The two letters from U.S. Departments of State, Agriculture and Commerce, one addressed to governor's offices and one to CEOs and business leaders, are dated June 16 but were released by the de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan late on Wednesday.
Similarly worded, the letters say that China's embassy and consulates regularly contact local government offices or private business in the U.S. to "discourage engagement with Taiwan".
"In doing so, they often mischaracterise U.S. policy by, for example, falsely claiming that Washington has previously accepted Beijing's specific position on Taiwan," both the letters say.
