TAIPEI — Taiwan’s vice president-elect William Lai will go to this week’s high-profile National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, he said on Monday, an event traditionally attended by U.S. presidents and which President Donald Trump was at last year. Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name. The National Prayer Breakfast, which was started in 1953, takes place from Feb. 5-6 and is hosted by members of the U.S. Congress. Taiwan and the United States do not have formal diplomatic ties, but Washington is Taipei’s most important international backer and main supplier of arms. Taipei and Washington have further strengthened ties under the Trump administration, to China’s anger, which regularly says Taiwan is the single most sensitive issue in Sino-U.S. relations.

Source: National Post February 03, 2020 03:00 UTC