AFP, WASHINGTONUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday urged US governors to resist Chinese pressure to shun Taiwan, as he warned that Beijing was increasingly taking its diplomatic battle to the local level. “Don’t make separate individual deals and agreements with China that undermine our national policy,” Pompeo said. “It’s one thing to pressure the secretary of state of the United States of America. It shows intent.”“While these might seem like local matters to some, the cumulative effect is of enormous national importance and international significance,” he said. “It’s happening in your states, with consequences for our foreign policy and for citizens that reside in your states ... and affects our capacity to perform America’s vital national security functions,” he said.

Source: Taipei Times February 09, 2020 15:56 UTC