US lawmakers arrive in Taiwan to meet Tsai Ing-wen on surprise visit

Delegation led by Democrat Mark Takano includes three others from his party and one Republican
Latest visit by US lawmakers comes just two weeks after a delegation of Republican lawmakers visited the self-ruled island

US-China relations

Lawrence Chungin Taipei

Published: 1:25am, 26 Nov 2021

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Just two weeks after a US congressional delegation made a surprise visit to Taiwan, another group of US lawmakers arrived on the self-ruled island for a two-day trip that is certain to rile Beijing.

The 17-member group – led by House Representative Mark Takano, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans and a California Democrat – landed at Taipei’s Songshan Airport on a US military C40-C transport plane late Thursday night.

The visit came just days after US President Joe Biden and his mainland Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held more than three hours of virtual talks, where the status of Taiwan was a contentious point of discussion.

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The group comprised five members of the House of Representatives and their aides, who were expected to meet Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and other government leaders, including defence minister Chiu Kuo-cheng, Taiwanese officials said on Thursday.

The American Institute in Taiwan – the US de facto embassy in Taipei – announced late in the evening that the group would stay in Taiwan through Friday for a trip that was “part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region”.

“The congressional delegation will meet with senior Taiwan leaders to discuss US-Taiwan relations, regional security and other significant issues of mutual interest,” the AIT said.

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Other representatives include Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, who recently issued a warning along with dozens of other US lawmakers about America’s vulnerability to semiconductor supply chain constraints.

Colin Allred, a Texas Democrat; Sara Jacobs, a California Democrat and South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace, are also part of the delegation, according to AIT.

Tsai’s spokesman Xavier Chang said the Presidential Office welcomed the group’s visit, which came after US Senator John Cornyn and five other lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on November 9.

“In just a month, another group of US congressmen came to Taiwan for visit, which reflects the solid friendship between Taiwan and the US, but also represents the bipartisan support of Taiwan from the Congress,” Chang said.

Tsai Ing-wen is seen with American Institute in Taiwan director Sandra Oudkirk in front of an F-16V fighter in Chiayi Air Force Base, Taiwan, on November 18. Photo: Reuters

He said the US representatives currently visiting have been known for their support of Taiwan’s participation in global, multilateral organisations, including the World Health Organisation.

Chang said the visit should be able to deepen US-Taiwan exchanges in the areas of regional security and other issues.

The group’s visit came after Texas’ Senator Cornyn, a Republican, led five other US lawmakers from his party arrived in Taiwan for talks, also on a US military plane.

Beijing called the lawmakers’ trip an act of provocation and later conducted a combat readiness patrol in the region in response to what it called “gravely mistaken words and actions” by other countries concerning Taiwan.

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Beijing views Taiwan as its own territory that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. It has frequently warned the US and other countries against conducting military and official contacts with the self-ruled island.

Cornyn is one of the senators who recently introduced a bill for the “Taiwan Deterrence Act,” which would authorise US$2 billion of yearly financing for Taiwan if certain conditions are met.

During the visit, he met with Tsai and had an hour-long briefing by Taiwan’s defence officials on cross-strait security and military tension.

In June, a three-hour visit by three US senators on a military transport plane prompted Beijing to warn of grave consequences for both Taiwan and the US.

During their brief stop, the three visitors held closed-door meetings with Taiwanese officials and announced a US plan to donate supplies of Covid-19 vaccines to the island.

In April, a former US senator and two ex-State Department officials also held talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

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