China is warning Gov. Katie Hobbs not to develop political relationships with Taiwan.
That comes after the Taiwanese government announced plans in July to open a cultural and economic office in Arizona.
KJZZ obtained multiple letters from the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles addressed to Hobbs protesting the opening of the Taiwan office.
One letter asks the state to stop “any gimmicks that harm the friendship” between China and Arizona.
China claims the democratic self-governing island of Taiwan as its own territory.
Weeks before the office was announced, the federal government encouraged Hobbs and other states to keep building business partnerships with Taiwan, even if they receive messages from China warning otherwise.
“We're going to see Beijing react to any development that will enhance awareness of Taiwan," said Lily McElwee, president of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations.
A Hobbs spokesperson says the state will continue supporting partnerships with Taiwan consistent within the broader U.S. foreign policy framework.
Read the letters
-
Phoenix Sky Harbor is now offering a driverless shuttle bus called Ohmio to transport passengers from the East Economy parking lot to the Sky Train Station. -
ESPN is reporting the Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a deal to trade wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to a mystery team. Harrison, the son of Hall of Famer wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., will be inactive on Sunday against the Detroit Lions while the deal is finalized. -
Data analyst Abhay Padgoankar says a group of around 100 data centers and other large industrial users have nearly all of the increased demand on APS's system in recent years. To keep up with demand, he says, the utility is buying more power from outside suppliers and charging that across the entire rate base. -
Several window panels were broken at the Fisher Industries facility. The parent company, North Dakota-based Fisher Sand & Gravel, is contracted by the federal government for border wall construction. Tempe Police say investigators believe multiple people arrived around 4 in the morning to damage the building. -
The Mesa City Council approved landing fees at Falcon Field airport in March to help keep the airport self-sustaining. In April, the Federal Aviation Administration initiated a review over concerns the fees target specific airport users.
