In a statement released just minutes after President Biden took office, China's foreign ministry said it was sanctioning those "who have seriously violated China's sovereignty."

The Trump administration has upended decades of diplomatic practice in U.S. relations with Taiwan. For the new president, "this is meant to be a trap," says a former Obama administration official.

Mike Pompeo's critics see his trip to Georgia, less than a month before key Senate runoff races, as another example of the secretary of state breaking norms by getting involved in domestic politics.

The secretary of state urged Japan, India, Australia and the U.S. to protect against China's "corruption and coercion." The meeting resulted in no major initiatives. Beijing panned it before it began.

Security forces have clashed with demonstrators since Sunday's election, which is widely viewed as fraudulent. Nearly 7,000 have been arrested. And the opposition candidate fled the country.