Pompeo Threatens New China Sanctions, Says Ambassador to UN Will Visit Taiwan

US Ambassador Kelly Craft will visit Taiwan, third high-level US official to visit the island since August

Determined to stoke tensions with China until the end, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday threatened new sanctions against Beijing and announced the US ambassador to the UN will be visiting Taiwan.

Pompeo threatened sanctions over recent arrests in Hong Kong. In December, the Trump administration slapped sanctions on members of Beijing’s legislature over Hong Kong’s national security law. Earlier this year, the administration sanctioned several Hong Kong officials, including the city’s leader, Carrie Lam.

Pompeo also said that US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft will be making a visit to Taiwan, making her the third high-level US official to visit the island in recent months. In August, Health Secretary Alex Azar visited Taiwan, making him the highest-level US official to make a diplomatic trip to Taiwan since Washington severed formal ties with Taipei in 1979.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying responded to Pompeo’s comments and warned the US against interfering in China’s internal affairs. She accused the Trump administration of engaging in a “last-minute of madness” to further harm US-China relations.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.