Days after Xi-Trump summit, top Taiwan diplomat opens de facto consulate in US

Khushboo RazdanPublished: 3:13pm, 5 Oct 2026Updated: 7:00pm, 5 Oct 2026Taipei’s top diplomat is in Arizona this week to open a de facto consulate and tour the state’s semiconductor corridor, just days after US President Donald Trump wrapped up the pageantry of a state visit for President Xi Jinping.Lin Chia-lung, Taiwan’s foreign minister, arrived in Phoenix late on Saturday for a three-day visit that highlights the deepening economic ties between Washington and Taipei.

His visit will not include stops in Washington or meetings with anyone at the State Department, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

A trip to Washington just days after Xi’s visit could have risked a blow-up with Beijing, which used the September 23-25 summit to press the US to harden its line on Taiwan.