China Halts Talks With U.S. Over Taiwan Dispute
China canceled more meetings with the United States on Sunday, continuing its protest of Washington’s decision to grant Taiwan’s president a visa.
China will postpone consultations with U.S. officials on nuclear cooperation and controlling the spread of missile technology, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Planned visits to China by the director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency in June and by the deputy assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs in July must also be delayed, the statement said.
It was the fourth action taken by the Chinese government since Washington decided last Monday to allow President Lee Teng-hui of Taiwan to visit his alma mater, Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
Lee’s visit will be unofficial, but China considers Taiwan a renegade province and objects to its being recognized in international forums.
Taiwan is the seat of the Nationalist government, which fled China’s mainland in 1949 after losing a civil war to Communist forces.
The United States recognized the Nationalists as China’s government until 1979, when Washington formally recognized Beijing.
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