A delegation from the US Congress led by Democratic Senator Ed Markey arrived in Taiwan for an unannounced two-day visit.
Markey tweeted that the bipartisan congressional delegation’s visit was “to reaffirm America’s support for Taiwan and encourage stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait.”
The congressional delegation’s visit to the self-governing island follows a similar trip by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan earlier this month.
I am traveling to Taiwan with a bipartisan congressional delegation to reaffirm US support for Taiwan and encourage stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait. https://t.co/SAnXwuHKe2
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) August 14, 2022
Pelosi’s trip has angered China after it became the highest-ranking US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years, prompting Beijing to hold unprecedented military exercises around Taipei.
During her visit to Taiwan, Pelosi said the purpose of the visit was to make it “unequivocally clear” that the United States “will not give up” on the democratic island.
The congressional delegation also includes Democrats Reps. John Garamendi, Alan Leventhal and Don Bauer, as well as Republican Rep. Umoa Amata Coleman Radwagen.
In Taiwan, the delegation will meet with “elected leaders and members of the private sector to discuss common interests, including reducing tensions across the Taiwan Strait and expanding economic cooperation.”
During the trip, the delegation will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and discuss security and trade issues with the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee of Taiwan’s parliament, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The State Department added that it warmly welcomes the American delegation and thanks them for showing strong US support for Taiwan despite the escalation of tensions with Beijing.
China’s ruling Communist Party considers Taiwan part of its territory, though it has never controlled it, and has long vowed to “reunify” the island with mainland China if necessary.
China responded to the visit in a statement issued by the Chinese embassy in Washington on Sunday, saying it would take “resolute countermeasures in response to US provocations.”
US Embassy spokesperson Liu Binyu wrote on Twitter: “Members of the US Congress must act in accordance with the one China policy of the US government.
Liu said China is “absolutely opposed to any kind of formal relations” between the United States and Taiwan, and that the recent trip by the congressional delegation “proves that the United States does not want to see stability across the Taiwan Strait and will spare no effort to create a confrontation between them.” has not done. Two countries.”
Source: Lebanon Debate
