US hails Taiwan for lifting curbs on pork, beef import

WASHINGTON

The US Friday welcomed Taiwan's recent decision to lift import restrictions on American beef and pork amid soaring tensions with China.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington looks "forward to the timely implementation of these actions, which will provide greater access for U.S. farmers to one of East Asia’s most vibrant markets, and for Taiwan consumers to high-quality U.S. agricultural products."

"President Tsai's vision and leadership in removing these long-standing barriers open the door to greater economic and trade cooperation between the United States and Taiwan," Pompeo said in a statement.

The announcement comes as relations between Washington and Beijing are at a nadir following the coronavirus pandemic, the global severity of which the Trump administration blames on China for allegedly concealing its true extent early on.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province, and tensions have been rising in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the two.

The US has been steadily increasing its cooperation with Taiwan, and on Thursday the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which is the US' de facto embassy in Taiwan, published photos on its Facebook page of an American plane refueling Taiwanese F-16 fighter jets mid-air in the US as part of a series of posts titled "SECURITY COOPERATION MONTH: 'REAL FRIENDS, REAL PROGRESS.'"

"AIT Security Cooperation Month is a recognition of the multifaceted nature of the security cooperation activities that benefit both Taiwan and the United States," the AIT said in a separate post.