Texas Republicans Meet With Taiwan Leader Over China Objections

Cruz, Abbott disclose Tsai discussions after visit in Houston
Talks follow Trump’s protocol break in his post-election call

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen at Taoyuan airport on Jan. 7.
Photographer: Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images

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By Ben Brody

January 8, 2017 at 8:32 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met Sunday in Houston with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, potentially adding to tensions with China after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump broke diplomatic protocol by speaking on the phone with her.

Cruz, one of Trump’s strongest challengers for last year’s Republican presidential nomination, said in a statement that he and Tsai “discussed our mutual opportunity to upgrade the stature of our bilateral relations in a wide-ranging discussion that addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges, and economic relations.” Abbott, also a Republican, tweeted a photo of his meeting on Sunday, saying the session was to “discuss expanding trade and economic opportunities.”