Taiwan and US plan talks to counter Beijing’s unification drive

The South China Morning Post said officials from Taiwan and the US will hold talks later this year as part of discussions on Beijing’s growing pressure on the island for unification,

The talks, planned for later this year, will be held in Taipei and will include the de facto US ambassador to Taipei, William Brent Christensen.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the “Indo-Pacific Democratic Governance Consultations” – as the dialogue is termed – would allow the two sides to “grow closer and more direct in their cooperation … to protect regional freedom and legal order.”

The US has formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, but maintains ties with Taipei though the American Institute in Taiwan.