TAIPEI, Taiwan — A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation reaffirmed support for Taiwan during a visit Thursday following its election of a new president whose victory has angered China. The delegation’s visit is the first by U.S. lawmakers to the island since the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party won a third straight term in the Jan. 13 election.
China, America’s chief competitor for global influence, claims Taiwan as its own territory and threatens to use force to bring the self-governed island under its control. Beijing strongly condemned the election of Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, and appears set to extend its policy of refusing to engage with the island’s government — a practice that’s been in place since outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen’s election in 2016.
“The support of the United States for Taiwan is firm. It’s real, and it is 100% bipartisan,” Rep. Mario Diaz Balart said.
Mr. Balart, a Florida Republican, was joined by California Democratic Rep. Ami Bera. “In the 21st century, there’s no place for aggressive action. We have to learn to live together, to trade together, to work together, to solve problems together,” Mr. Bera said.
“Just know that we are proud of the people of Taiwan. We are proud of the relationship, and as strong as that relationship has always been. That is assured. It will even be stronger,” Mr. Balart said.
“So, we look forward to working together to continue to protect the peace, prosperity [and] the future of Taiwan. It’s up to people of Taiwan,” Mr. Bera said.
President-elect Lai thanked the visiting co-chairs of the U.S. Congressional Taiwan Caucus for their visit, saying that “today’s Taiwan is a Taiwan of the world.” The visiting lawmakers also met with outgoing President Tsai and with Hsiao Bi-khim, Mr. Lai’s running mate who was until recently Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Washington for three years.
Mr. Lai also touched on continued military assistance from the U.S. and a proposed agreement to avoid mutual taxation of companies.
Beijing objects to any form of official contact between the U.S. and Taiwan. In 2022, it responded to a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with some of its largest military maneuvers in years, including missile launches and a simulated blockade of Taiwan. It views visits by foreign government officials as a recognition of the island’s sovereignty.
President Biden, seeking to calm tensions across the Taiwan Strait, insists there’s no change in Washington’s longstanding “one-China” policy, which recognizes Beijing as representing China but allows informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan.
Washington cut formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 in order to recognize China, but U.S. law requires it to ensure the island has the ability to defend itself. That has translated into a heavy reliance by Taiwan on U.S. military hardware and a law saying that Washington must treat threats against the island as a matter of “grave concern.”
Mr. Biden, going beyond official policy, has said on several occasions that the U.S. military would unquestionably respond to a Chinese military move against the democratic island of 23 million people, though his aides insist American policy is unchanged.
China regularly sends warplanes and navy ships to intimidate and harass Taiwan, with 18 planes and six ships operating near the island in the 24 hours before 6 a.m. Thursday. Three Chinese balloons were recorded as crossing the island, although it remains unclear whether they have a military or intelligence gathering purpose.
“We understand the pressures and the type of coercion of the Chinese Communist Party, and yet the Taiwanese people spoke loud and clear,” Mr. Balart said at a late Thursday news conference. “Taiwan is a beacon of hope and of life and of freedom and of democracy and it is such a direct contrast to what we’re seeing coming from the Communist Party of China.”
The Biden administration has already angered China’s Communist leaders by sending an unofficial delegation of former senior government officials to Taipei shortly after the vote to meet with the new government. Mr. Lai is set to be inaugurated in May.
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