WASHINGTON, April 9 (AFP) - The State Department said Friday (Apr 9) it will make it easier for US officials to meet Taiwanese representatives, defying pressure from China amid high tensions.

The United States will still consider only Beijing as China's legitimate government, consistent with its switch of recognition in 1979, but will do away with some of the convoluted rules that restricted contacts with Taiwan.

"The guidance underscores Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and an important security and economic partner that is also a force for good in the international community," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

"These new guidelines liberalise guidance on contacts with Taiwan, consistent with our unofficial relations," he said.

The move by President Joe Biden's administration formalises increasingly vocal US support for Taiwan, a self-government democracy, and comes in response to an act of Congress that required a review.

Taiwan's mission in Washington - officially called the "Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States", rather than an embassy - welcomed the new guidelines, saying they reflected a bipartisan consensus for closer relations.

"Taiwan and the US share a deep and abiding partnership based on our common values and joint interests," it said, pointing to cooperation on global health, space, trade and democracy promotion.

Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, a staunch critic of Beijing, in his last days in office said he was getting rid of previous guidelines on dealing with Taiwan - a step praised by many supporters of Taipei but which also caused confusion as he did not state what would replace them.