U.S. Congressional Delegation Lands In Taiwan After Pelosi’s Controversial Visit

Topline

A congressional delegation landed in Taiwan early Sunday morning to meet with Taiwanese leaders and discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, just weeks after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit sparked major tensions with China, which claims the island.

Key Facts

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Reps. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), Don Beyer (D-Va.), and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, (R-American Samoa) will visit Taiwan Sunday and Monday as part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region, according to a statement from the American Institute in Taiwan.

The delegation, led by Markey, will also discuss regional security, trade and investment, global supply chains, climate change and other issues, according to the statement.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared a photo of vice foreign minister Alexander Yui greeting Markey upon his arrival, and thanked the “like-minded U.S. lawmakers for the timely visit and unwavering support.”

China has not officially commented on the visit, but on Sunday 11 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense zone as Beijing continues military drills near the island, according to Taiwan’s Defence Ministry.

The visit coincides with China sending fighter jets and bombers to Thailand for a joint military exercise on Sunday, while the U.S. takes part in combat drills in Indonesia along with Australia, Japan and Singapore.

Key Background

The visit comes on the heels of Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, which drew backlash from China, which called the visit an “egregious provocation” and imposed sanctions on the speaker and her immediate family. Leading up to and amid Pelosi’s arrival in Taiwan, the Chinese military carried out large-scale military drills near the island in an apparent show of intimidation. Before Pelosi’s trip, President Joe Biden spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a phone call and reiterated that the U.S. does not support Taiwanese independence. However, he did note he was opposed to Beijing attempting to unilaterally “change the status quo.” For years, the U.S. has had an ambiguous position on Taiwan. The U.S. does not officially recognize the island’s independence and has not committed to defending Taiwan against an invasion by mainland China, but it does sell weapons to the island and supports its right to send its own delegations to international bodies like the United Nations.

Further Reading

Pelosi’s Flight Lands In Taiwan—As 700,000 Follow Along Online (Forbes)

Pelosi Says U.S. Is Determined To ‘Preserve Democracy’ As She Meets Taiwanese President Forbes)