(Archyde.com) – Michael Chase, the Pentagon’s deputy assistant secretary for China, has arrived in Taiwan, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The FT earlier reported that Chase planned to visit Taiwan in the coming days. However, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Qiu Guozheng said on the 17th that he was “very uncertain” about reports of a visit to Taiwan by a senior Pentagon official.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a news conference that China firmly opposes high-level visits and military ties between the United States and Taiwan.
When U.S. House Speaker Pelosi (at that time) visited Taiwan in August last year, China strongly opposed the visit and conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan.