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Beijing threatens ‘heavy price’ if US envoy Kelly Craft travels to Taiwan

China on Thursday warned the United States would pay a “heavy price” if its United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft made good on plans to travel to Taiwan next week.Democratic and self-ruled Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, which views the island as its own territory and has vowed to seize it one day, by force if necessary.
Beijing opposes any diplomatic recognition of Taiwan and has pushed to keep it isolated on the world stage.
Outgoing US President Donald Trump has sent multiple senior officials to Taipei over the last year as he clashed with China on a host of issues such as trade, security and human rights.
Craft’s January 13-15 visit will come just a week before the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden and creates a fresh diplomatic headache for the incoming administration.
“The United States will pay a heavy price for its wrong action,” a statement from the Chinese mission to the UN said in response to the planned trip next week by Craft.
“China strongly urges the United States to stop its crazy provocation, stop creating new difficulties for China-US relations and the two countries’ cooperation in the United Nations, and stop going further on the wrong path.”
The American UN mission said on Thursday evening that Craft would meet with Taiwanese officials and other members of the diplomatic community.
“During her trip, the Ambassador will reinforce the US government’s strong and ongoing support for Taiwan’s international space,” the American statement said.
She is scheduled to speak at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs on January 14, “on Taiwan’s impressive contributions to the global community and the importance of Taiwan’s meaningful and expanded participation in international organizations,” according to the statement.

Taiwanese presidential spokesman Xavier Chang welcomed the visit, saying it “symbolizes the firm friendship between Taiwan and the US.”
Washington diplomatically recognizes Beijing over Taipei, but remains a staunch ally of the latter and is bound by Congress to sell weapons to Taiwan to defend itself.
It opposes any move to change Taiwan’s current status by force.
Senior US officials have made visits to Taiwan before but they became more common and prominent under Trump.
Last year three prominent trips were made, including by health secretary Alex Azar, the first by a cabinet official.
During that visit China sent fighter jets across the Median Line -- a de facto border that runs down the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing has piled military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taipei since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s election in 2016, in part due to her refusal to acknowledge its stance that the island is part of “one China.”
Tsai, who won a landslide re-election last year, regards the island as de facto sovereign.
China’s saber-rattling reached new peaks last year with Taiwan responding to a record 380 incursions into its defense zone.
source: AFP
Image source: Reuters
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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