Posted : 2021-01-10 15:34
Updated : 2021-01-10 15:37
In this Sept. 21, 2020, file photo, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft speaks during a news conference at the U.S. State Department in Washington. AP
By Teddy Ng
China accused the United States of playing with fire with its plans to send its UN envoy to Taiwan next week, saying the move would create new difficulties for the already troubled ties between Beijing and Washington.
The visit from January 13 to 15 by Kelly Craft to Taiwan is seen by the mainland as the latest move by the outgoing administration of Donald Trump to further damage China-US relations and put US president-elect Joe Biden in a corner.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said he is sending UN Ambassador Kelly Craft to Taiwan next week to show what a free China could achieve, an announcement that sparked sharp criticism from Beijing and a warning that the United States will pay a heavy price for its wrong action. Pompeo on Thursday called Taiwan a reliable partner and vibrant democracy that has flourished despite CCP (Chinese Communist Party) efforts to undermine its great success. China s UN Mission said in a statement from its spokesperson that Beijing firmly opposes Craft s visit. It said that there is only one China in the world and the Taiwan region is an inalienable part of China s territory.