CANBERRA, Australia - A top U.S. diplomat for Southeast Asia has urged Pacific island nations not to withdraw diplomatic recognition of Taiwan, warning that Chinese pressure to change Taiwan’s international standing threatens to increase the possibility of conflict. U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia W. Patrick Murphy spoke to reporters in Canberra on Friday at the end of a three-day Australian visit for talks with officials in the recently reelected government on expanding their security alliance.

Source: thestar May 24, 2019 04:49 UTC