US sending unofficial delegation to Taiwan after elections

The United States plans to send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan after the island concludes its high-stakes presidential election on Saturday.

A senior administration official said the delegation would include former U.S. officials, but did not say who would be sent and when.

“Given the unofficial relationship with Taiwan, we often send high-level unofficial delegations made up of former government officials to Taipei,” the official said. “We have a decades-long tradition of doing so.”

President Biden previously dispatched unofficial delegations of former members of Congress, military personnel, and diplomats to Taiwan in April 2021 and February 2022.

The official said it was not clear how China would react to the delegation, but noted that sending an unofficial group is not unprecedented.

“At this point, we have no idea what will happen or what will happen. [Chinese] We will take action,” the official said.

The delegation will meet with the president-elect to discuss U.S. priorities and policy toward Taiwan.

“There is no substitute for that direct communication, and that is what we are trying to achieve through this informal delegation,” the official added.

Taiwan's elections are closely watched because the next government in Taipei will rule the island at a tense time in the Indo-Pacific and because China has pledged to unify with Taipei, possibly by the end of the decade.

Three candidates are running. Leading the charge is William Lai Ching-te, Taiwan's current vice president and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate.

Lai does not seek formal independence from China, but wants to maintain the status quo and forge closer ties with the United States.

Right behind Lai is Hou Youxi, the Kuomintang Party (KMT) candidate. The Kuomintang wants closer ties with China, but also wants to maintain the status quo when it comes to independence.

Another candidate, Ko Wen-je, is pushing for a balance between the Nationalist Party and the Democratic Progressive Party, but is lagging in opinion polls.

China historically considers Taiwan to be part of the mainland. The United States follows a “one China” policy in recognizing Beijing's claims, but is committed to informal relations with Taipei.

China faces accusations of interfering in Taiwan's upcoming elections.Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu highlighted concerns about Beijing's interference This week to journalists.

A senior US official said the US government had “grave concerns” about interference in the election process, but stressed its confidence in Taipei's institutions.

“It is no secret that the Chinese government has its views on the outcome of the election and is trying to shape the narrative in a variety of ways,'' the official said. I have confidence in him,'' he said.

The official also said the United States is communicating with China and will continue to do so as the election approaches. The official explained that the United States is “not taking sides in this election” and has “no favorites or favorite candidates.”

“Regardless of who is elected, our policy towards Taiwan will remain the same and our strong unofficial relationship will continue,” the official said.