US lawmakers met with Taiwan’s parliament speaker on Monday as part of a five-day visit to the autonomous island.
The visit of the American delegation arrives in a tense moment between the US and China, following weeks of allegations being exchanged on a spy balloon.
The delegation, which arrived Sunday, includes Ro Khanna, a member of the California House of Representatives, Tony Gonzalez of Texas, Jake Auchinkloss of Massachusetts and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois.
The deputies are expected to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, as well as some businessmen.
Deputies will also hold talks on Monday with Maurice Chang, founder of Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturing company TSMC, which is the island’s industry parent company.
Khanna said he was in Taiwan to learn about the island’s role in the semiconductor industry.
Khanna and Auchinkloss were members of a new House Committee on competition between the United States and the Communist Party of China.
Khanna hinted at the implied threat to their visit, as China opposes any form of trade between Taiwan and foreign governments.
China says the island is part of its territory and should be reunited, by force if necessary, and has stepped up its harassment against Taiwan militarily and diplomatically.
Khanna commented, “Our coming here is not in in no way a provocation for China, but the visit is consistent with US President Joe Biden’s foreign policy, which recognizes the importance of relations with Taiwan, while ultimately seeking the pace in the area. “
Taiwanese Parliament Speaker Yu Si Kun took advantage of Monday’s meeting with deputies to respond to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who stressed at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that Taiwan “has never been and has not will ever be a country in the future.”
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