A cross-party group of lawmakers visits Taiwan after several days of Chinese military exercises close to the island.
Six lawmakers made their way to Taiwan a few days after the inauguration of Lai Ching-te, who has been viewed by Beijing as a "dangerous separatist" and whose election sparked the biggest military exercises the Chinese have conducted in the area in over a year. The Chinese Communist Party sees the self-governing democracy as one of its territories, though they've never had control over it and have threatened to use force to take the island.
In response to the events, McCaul, a congressman, spoke out in a statement, "As Putin wages war in Ukraine and Israel battles Iran-backed proxies like Hamas, Chairman Xi of China is observing if America will continue to support its partners and friends. Taiwan is a prosperous democracy. The US will persist in upholding our commitment to our strong ally and aim to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. I'm excited to meet with officials from Taiwan to further understand how the US can support peace in Asia and develop our shared democratic values."
The delegation intends to discuss topics such as regional security, trade, and investment with Taiwanese authorities, as stated in a press release from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
China declared that the two-day drills they conducted in the vicinity of Taiwan and in the Taiwan Strait were intended to "test the ability to jointly seize power, launch coordinated attacks and occupy critical locations." These exercises involved many fighter aircraft carrying live ammunition, conducting mock attacks on "high-value military targets" of the "enemy," CNN reported on Thursday.
American officials criticized the drills, with the State Department requesting the Chinese to "act with restraint."
In the past, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the island, which occurred two years ago, it marked the first time a US House speaker had visited Taiwan in 25 years. This event led to several days of large-scale military drills and warnings from Beijing about the potential consequences for US-China relations.
In April 2023, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also challenged China by meeting with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen in California, declaring a united front at a time when tensions with China were escalating. Although they tried to minimize the significance of this meeting at the time to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing, who criticized the talks and promised "strong and resolute measures," the political importance of the Taiwanese president's meeting on US soil was evident.
While touring China in the previous month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a three-day conversation with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who suggested the US and China should be "partners rather than rivals." The two nations have actively sought to stabilize their relationship, which has been further complicated by intimidation drills and threats to Taiwan.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
