US to send an unofficial delegation as Taiwan’s president is sworn in. It will test ties with China

By DIDI TANG
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says the White House is sending an unofficial delegation to Taiwan this weekend for the inauguration of the island’s democratically elected president. The move is certain to upset China but unlikely to draw excessive responses from Beijing as the two countries try to stabilize relations. A senior White House official says the move is in line with longstanding U.S. practice to send the delegation to the inauguration Monday. The group  includes two former senior officials and a scholar. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of Chinese territory and vows to seize the island by force if necessary to achieve unification. It’s long opposed any official contact between Washington and Taipei.