Taipei’s top diplomat is in Arizona this week to open a de facto consulate and tour the state’s semiconductor corridor, even as US President Donald Trump has just wrapped up the pageantry of a state visit for President Xi Jinping.
Lin Chia-lung, Taiwan’s foreign minister, arrived in Phoenix late on Saturday for a three-day visit that highlights the deepening economic ties between Washington and Taipei.
His visit will not include stops in Washington or meetings with anyone at the State Department, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
A trip to Washington just days after Xi’s visit could have risked a blow-up with Beijing, which used the summit to press the US to harden its line on Taiwan.