Chinese officials arrive in Taiwan on first post-pandemic visit

TAIPEI, Feb 18  A group of Chinese officials arrived in Taiwan on Saturday on the first visit in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, to attend a cultural event at a time of soaring military tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan’s government this week allowed the trip of six officials, lead by Liu Xiaodong, deputy head of the Shanghai office of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, to attend the Lantern Festival in Taipei, at the invitation of the city government.