Quartz
Date: June 11,, 2018
By: Josh Horwitz

Important occasion. (Reuters/Tyrone Siu)

While the world watches the summit between president Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un unfold, another significant event will take place elsewhere in Asia.

On June 12 in Taipei, Taiwan and the US will jointly mark the establishment of a new facility for the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the US’s de facto embassy in the country. Politicians from both nations are attending a ceremony to commemorate the $250 million complex, which will open formally later this year.

The event underscores the deepening ties between the current US administration and Taiwan, as China attempts to cut off Taiwan’s diplomatic reach. And even though its concurrent timing with the Trump-Kim summit is coincidental, observers are still watching it to gauge how the US might stand up to China’s claims on the island.
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