Recently, according to sources cited by the Financial Times, high-ranking officials from Taiwan’s security and foreign policy sector made a low-key visit to the United States to participate in talks. This is the first such visit since President Lai Ching-te took office in May.
Several informed individuals revealed that Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, and National Security Adviser, David Lee, were in the Greater Washington area this week for a “special channel” dialogue.
For years, the United States and Taiwan have held these “special channel” dialogues. In 2023, former Foreign Minister David Lee and then-National Security Adviser, current Defense Minister Wei Gwo-jen, met with senior US officials in Annapolis, Maryland.
As per longstanding practice, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister and Defense Minister are not allowed to enter the Washington, D.C. area.
The sources did not disclose the location or time of the talks. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office declined to comment on the talks. The White House refused to comment.
The report mentioned that the timing of the US-Taiwan talks is sensitive, as the Chinese Communist Party is closely watching how Lai Ching-te manages relations with Beijing and Washington. While the PRC claims Taiwan as part of China, they have never governed Taiwan in history.
Evan Medeiros, China expert at Georgetown University and former senior director for Asian Affairs at the White House, told the Financial Times that the US-Taiwan special channel is “one of the most sensitive and important mechanisms in global politics today.”
He believes that maintaining clear and consistent communication between Taiwan and the US is crucial, especially with increasing pressure from the PRC on Taiwan.
Following a visit to Taiwan by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022, Beijing conducted large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, including the first-ever ballistic missile launch into Taiwan’s airspace. Since then, Beijing has maintained high-intensity military activities near Taiwan.
Former senior Pentagon official for Asian Affairs, Randy Schriver, stated that due to the unofficial nature of US-Taiwan relations, permissible contacts between the two sides are limited, making the special channel critically important, particularly given Beijing’s escalating military activities around Taiwan.