UNITED STATES CALLS OFF TAIWAN DEFENSE MEETING

The United States canceled a planned meeting with Taiwan’s Defense Minister, Wellington Koo, in June, amid concerns that it could jeopardize diplomatic efforts with China.

Koo was scheduled to travel to the Washington, D.C., area for talks with Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. However, the meeting was abruptly called off at the last minute. The decision was influenced by the Trump administration’s desire to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing during sensitive trade negotiations and efforts to arrange a potential summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Although the U.S. officials initially cited unrelated military activity in the Middle East as the reason for the cancellation, China played a more decisive role.
The move has raised concerns in Taipei about the reliability of U.S. defense commitments, with analysts warning that reduced engagement could weaken deterrence in the Taiwan Strait and embolden Beijing amid rising regional tensions