Defying Beijing to visit Taiwan, five US lawmakers from the US House of Representatives arrived in the contested island on Thursday to meet with government officials for discussions on security measures.
The congressional delegation’s visit is the second time in a month that US lawmakers have visited the island.
This side trip to Taiwan came after they’ve celebrated Thanksgiving with US troops in South Korea and thought it would be good to stop to connect with Taiwanese leaders and discuss a whole array of economic and national security issues.
In an effort to assert its sovereignty claims over Taiwan, the Chinese government has recently buffed up its military presence and has promptly issued a warning stating China has no room for compromise on Taiwan and that US should not have any illusions about that.
Beijing reiterated its warning on Thursday stressing that the US should not meddle in China’s affairs with the Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Wu Qian reminding on the irresponsible and provocative the US has said and done on Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the close up reconnaissance by warships and aircraft.
However, the Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Wu underlined Beijing’s willingness to maintain exchanges and cooperation with the United States regarding Taiwan.
Michigan Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin noted that the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC also attempted to discourage them from venturing to Taiwan, sending what she described as a blunt message telling her to call off the trip.
Slotnik pointed that considering Taiwan is the auto industry’s largest supplier of microchips, the supply chain issues will most definitely find themselves on the agenda.
Yet, the news of the lawmakers’ trip adds to the controversy President Biden created when his administration extended an invitation to Taiwan for its “Summit for Democracy” next month but skipped China in the process, a decision deemed a mistake by Beijing.
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