National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) arrived in the US for talks with US President Donald Trump’s administration, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Wu was leading a delegation for a meeting known as the “special channel,” the Financial Times reported earlier. It marked Trump’s first use of the channel since returning to the White House on Jan. 20.
Citing a source familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reported that Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) was also a part of the delegation.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
The visit came days after China concluded war games around Taiwan and amid Trump’s announcement on Wednesday of a 32 percent reciprocal tariff on Taiwanese goods.
While a source speaking on condition of anonymity said that the government has sent personnel to Washington to negotiate tariff-related issues, the Executive Yuan yesterday did not specify whether the negotiators were Wu and Lin.
A source with knowledge of the matter yesterday said the two most important tasks for the government to counter the effects of US tariffs are to stabilize industries and to consistently negotiate with Washington.
Negotiations would require both sides to continue the talks and they must reach an outcome that is fair for industries, they said, adding that potential “bargaining chips” would be kept classified.
The “special channel” for talks between Taiwan and the US has been in place for years, serving as a mechanism for officials from Taipei and Washington to discuss security issues, but it is not openly acknowledged by either side, the Financial Times said.
Washington has kept such talks secret in an effort to avoid triggering any provocative actions by China against Taiwan, the newspaper reported, adding that it was the first to reveal the special channel in 2021.
The special communication channel includes officials from the US National Security Council among others, it said.
Under a practice that has been maintained through multiple US administrations, Taiwan’s defense and foreign ministers are not permitted to enter Washington due to the lack of formal diplomatic ties, the Financial Times said.
Previously, Taiwanese and US officials have met in neighboring Virginia or Maryland, it said.
Earlier this week, China’s military concluded two-day war games around Taiwan.
Reports cited US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo as saying that China’s military exercises had become so extensive that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army could use the drills to conceal a military invasion of Taiwan.
Taipei denounced China for the latest drills, as did the US, Taiwan’s most important international supporter and main arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations.
China has stepped up rhetoric against Taiwan President William Lai (賴清德), calling him a “parasite” on Tuesday in the wake of US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Asia visit, during which he repeatedly criticized Beijing.
Additional reporting by Chung Li-hua and CNA
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