Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry expressed regret to the sudden cancelation of the visit of Kelly Craft, the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations, to Taiwan planned for this week, CNA reported.

Taiwan “understands and respects the decision of the State Department. We still welcome her to visit Taiwan at an appropriate time in the future,” a statement said after the US Department of State announced on Tuesday (US time) that all planned travel of its officials, including Secretary Mike Pompeo’s trip to Europe, were canceled in view of the transition efforts of the department with US President-elect Biden’s team.

Craft was originally scheduled to visit Taipei from Jan. 13 to 15 to reinforce “the US government’s support for Taiwan’s international participation.” She would have been the first incumbent US ambassador to the UN to visit Taiwan since 1968, when George Ball visited Taiwan.

Taiwan, whose official designation is the Republic of China, left the UN in 1971 when China took its place, and has since been excluded from its special agencies.

China, which considers Taiwan a Chinese territory, strongly opposed Craft’s.