(AFP) - Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei to discuss investment opportunities as the potential US presidential contender kicked off a trade mission to Asia, their offices said.
The meeting comes at a time when relations between Beijing and Washington are nosediving, with much acrimony centered around the issue of Taiwan. Youngkin said he was thrilled to meet with Tsai on Monday, the first day of an international trade mission that will include stops in Tokyo and Seoul.
Taiwan is "an important training partner and model of prosperity for nations across the globe," he said, announcing the establishment of a Taiwan-Virginia economic development office. The governor is considered a possible contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination but has yet to declare his candidacy.
Tsai said she was happy to receive friends from the US, adding that Taipei has always enjoyed strong links with the state of Virginia. "That Governor Youngkin has chosen Taiwan as the destination for his first overseas trip since taking office is especially significant," she said.
China views democratic Taiwan as part of its territory and does not allow diplomatic recognition of both Beijing and Taipei. Tensions between the US and China have flared in recent months, with the latest fracas coming over Tsai's visit to Los Angeles earlier this month, where she met House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
In response, China launched three days of war games around Taiwan, simulating targeted strikes and a blockade of the island. Days after the military exercises ended, the US sent a warship through the waters separating Taiwan and mainland China in a "freedom of navigation" exercise.
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