TAIPEI: A US congressional delegation arrived in Taiwan on Sunday, Washington’s de facto embassy in Taipei said, days after China held military drills around the island in retaliation for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit.
Sunday’s unnannounced visit came after Pelosi infuriated Beijing by visiting Taiwan earlier this month, sparking unprecedented air and sea drills that raised the prospect of conflict.
“Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), Representative John Garamendi (D-CA), Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Representative Don Beyer (D-VA), and Representative Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS) will visit Taiwan from August 14-15, 2022, as part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region,” the American Institute in Taiwan said in a statement.
“The delegation will meet with senior Taiwan leaders to discuss US-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, global supply chains, climate change, and other significant issues of mutual interest,” it added.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry hailed the delegation’s visit as another sign of warm ties between Taipei and Washington.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its sincere welcome (to the delegation),” the ministry said in a statement Sunday.
“As China is continuing to escalate tensions in the region, the US Congress has again organized a heavyweight delegation to visit Taiwan, showing a friendship that is not afraid of China’s threats and intimidation, and highlighting the US’ strong support towards Taiwan.”
The delegation will meet President Tsai Ing-wen and attend a banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu during the visit, the ministry added.
“The two sides will extensively exchange views on issues such as Taiwan-US security and trade relations,” it said.
It may be recalled that opn 2nd of August, despite stern warnings from China, United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Songshan Airport. Pelosi and her delegation was welcomed by the FM of Taiwan Joseph Wu.
On the occasion Pelosi stated: “Our congressional delegation’s visit to Taiwan honors America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant democracy.
“America’s solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy.”
This happened to be the first visit to Taiwan by the highest-ranking American official in a quarter century.
Earlier, Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun, had warned that a visit by United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan would undermine China-US relationship, saying the “one China principle” is a “red line” and “we allow no one to cross this red line.”
“Such a visit is apparently very much dangerous, very much provocative,” Zhang told a press conference at the start of China’s presidency of the U.N. Security Council for August.
“If such a visit happens it will also undermine the relationship between China and the United States.”
“China is fully prepared to respond. If the US insists on making the visit, China will take firm and strong measures to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the US has to bear all the serious consequences arising thereof,” he said.
Replying to a question, Zhang said he wasn’t in a position to reveal what actions, “but what I can tell is that the firmness, the determination is there. We will do whatever we can to defend our sovereignty and the territorial integrity.”
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