U.S. Navy admiral visits Taiwan: sources
A U.S. navy admiral has made an unannounced visit to Taiwan, a high-level trip that could stir things up with China.
Taiwan is a democratic, self-ruled island, But Beijing claims it as its own territory.
Two sources told Reuters that the officer was Rear Admiral Michael Studeman - a two-star officer who oversees military intelligence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The U.S. is Taiwan's biggest international backer, although it has no formal diplomatic ties with the island.
Support has only increased under the presidency of Donald Trump, including a boost in arms sales.
But this latest visit could spark a furious response from China.
In August, Beijing scrambled fighter jets near the island when U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar visited the capital city Taipei.
And it repeated the maneuver for a high-level U.S. state department visit a month later.
It's still not clear whether Admiral Studeman's visit will be seen as an escalation by Beijing.
But he could be one of the highest-ranking U.S. military officers known to have visited Taipei in recent years.
One analyst said that, if confirmed, he knew of "no precedent for such a visit."
But a former defense official told Reuters that Trump's Pentagon has quietly been sending one-star officers to Taiwan on a routine basis.
ENDS
