Taiwan says virus aid sent quietly to avoid Beijing protests

Taipei: Taiwan sent COVID-19 assistance to foreign countries surreptitiously to avoid protests from China, its foreign minister said on Tuesday during a meeting with the highest-level American official to visit the island in four decades. China claims Taiwan as its territory and has sought to isolate it diplomatically, including barring its participation in forums such as the World Health Assembly. The trip by US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar comes against the backdrop of a sharp downturn in relations between China and the US and...