Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Azar Highlights Taiwan's COVID Efforts During Rare Cabinet Member Visit
Alex Azar, the United States Health and Human Services secretary, met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen Monday, the highest-level meeting between Washington and the self-ruled island in decades. The visit has been condemned by Beijing, which regards Taiwan as Chinese territory, and comes amid an all-time low in US-China relations. Azar arrived in Taiwan Sunday, where he and his team were given coronavirus tests and were seen wearing face masks. (Hancocks and Griffiths, 8/10)
To the Trump administration, Mr. Azar’s visit is a chance to take a jab at China, which has sought to spin the coronavirus crisis as a testament to the strength of its authoritarian system. It is a way for Washington to show that it backs Taiwan in the face of increasing efforts by China to keep the island off the international stage. (Qin, 8/9)
Chinese air force jets briefly crossed the mid-line of the Taiwan Strait on Monday and were tracked by Taiwanese missiles, Taiwan’s government said, as U.S. health chief Alex Azar visited the island to offer President Donald Trump’s support. Azar arrived in Taiwan on Sunday, the highest-level U.S. official to visit in four decades. China, which claims the island as its own, condemned the visit which comes after a period of sharply deteriorating relations between China and the United States. (Lee and Blanchard, 8/9)
