Senior US Defense Official Visits Taiwan Amid 'Reconnaissance Balloon Conflict'

Chase, U.S. Department of Defense Deputy Assistant Secretary for China. Photo by U.S. Department of Defense website capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] A senior U.S. Department of Defense official in charge of China will visit Taiwan for the first time in four years.

According to major foreign media on the 17th (local time), this visit by the U.S. official comes amid heightened U.S.-China tensions following the reconnaissance balloon incident, raising the possibility of backlash from China, which advocates the "One China" policy.

Reports say multiple sources familiar with the matter revealed that Michael Chase, U.S. Department of Defense Deputy Assistant Secretary for China, will visit Taiwan within a few days. The exact date has not been disclosed.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Chase is currently understood to be in Mongolia for military-related discussions.

This is the first visit to Taiwan by a senior U.S. Department of Defense official in four years since Heino Klinck, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asia, in 2019. China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory, has been sensitive to visits by U.S. officials to Taiwan. When former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last August, the first House Speaker visit in 25 years, China responded with large-scale military demonstrations tantamount to a blockade of Taiwan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.