Taiwan defence minister says he is unsure about reported visit of U.S. official

Reuters:

TAIPEI, Feb 17 – Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Friday he was “not very certain” about a reported upcoming visit of a senior Pentagon official, a rare trip that would most likely further inflame China-U.S. relations.

The Financial Times, citing sources, said the Pentagon’s top China official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Chase, would soon visit Taiwan, at a time of rising military tensions between Beijing and Taipei.

Chiu, asked whether Chase would be coming, said “those who are friendly to us” are very welcome.

“But so far it is not very certain,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a parliament session.

“I won’t explain the details,” he added. “I won’t explain until I get formal notification.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chase would be the most senior U.S. defence official to visit the island since 2019.