Krach says he won’t bend to ‘China bully’ amid sanctions over Taiwan trip
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In response to being sanctioned by Beijing for his September visit to Taiwan, former State Department official Keith Krach described it as a badge of honor and refused to bow to the “China bully.”
From Sept. 17-19, Krach, who was serving as the U.S. undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, paid an official visit to Taiwan. His trip was historic, as he was the highest-ranking State Department official to visit Taiwan since President Jimmy Carter severed diplomatic ties with the country in 1979.
China responded to the trip by dispatching military aircraft on sorties over Taiwan’s ADIZ on an almost daily basis for the next four months, with 17 incursions taking place so far in January alone. On Jan. 20, when President Joe Biden took office, China imposed sanctions on 28 Trump-era officials “who have seriously violated China’s sovereignty and who have been mainly responsible for such U.S. moves on China-related issues.”
