Taiwan’s Tsai welcomes retired US admiral for China talks

By HUIZHONG WU
Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has welcomed the former head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command who warned in 2021 that the island could face an invasion from China this decade. Retired Adm. Phil Davidson, along with colleagues from the U.S. think tank the National Bureau of Asian Research, arrived Monday in the capital Taipei. China-Taiwan tensions spiked in August with the visit of then-U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi. China and Taiwan separated during a civil war in 1949 and the mainland claims the self-governing island as part of its territory. Tsai thanked Davidson on Thursday for his contributions to the safety of the Taiwan Straits. While still serving as the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Davidson had warned that China’s claims over Taiwan were a rising and tangible threat.