United States has not officially recognized Taiwan since 1979 but relations between Washington and Taipei appear to be strengthening

Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen visited Houston and Los Angeles last week, where she met US lawmakers ( AP )

Independent
Date: Aug 20, 2018
By: Chris Horton 

President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan visited Houston over the weekend, her second brief stop in the United States in one week, a sign of efforts to deepen relations between Washington and Taipeidespite vehement opposition from China.

Ms Tsai stopped in Los Angeles last Monday, on her way to Paraguay and Belize, and then in Houston on Saturday on her way back home. During the earlier stop, she met with three California lawmakers, including one, Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat, who called on the United States to formally invite her to Washington, which would break with decades of American practice.

The United States has not officially recognised Taiwan since 1979, when it shifted to recognising China’s communist government. China hopes to absorb the self-governed, democratic island, which it has never controlled, and has campaigned to erase any recognition by other countries or corporations of Taiwan’s sovereignty.    [FULL  STORY]