The highly publicized trip, which Beijing warned would affect regional stability, marks a break from the usual practice in Washington and Taipei. The two governments often conduct exchanges behind closed doors to avoid antagonizing China, which claims Taiwan, an island of 23 million backed militarily by the United States, as its own territory that it would secure at whatever cost.

But President Trump has upended the U.S. approach to Taiwan since the dawn of his administration and has now made countering China on trade and technology — and blaming Beijing for the economic turmoil wrought by the novel coronavirus pandemic — central to his reelection campaign.

In a pointed statement, the Department of Health and Human Services said the rare visit was part of “America’s policy of sending high-level U.S. officials to Taiwan to reaffirm the U.S.-Taiwan friendship” and celebrate shared democratic values “in contrast to authoritarian systems.”

“I look forward to conveying President Trump’s support for Taiwan’s global health leadership and underscoring our …continued .
[Source: Washington Post]