Following the visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi two weeks ago, a delegation for the US Congress has arrived in the island democracy.
The five-member delegation, under the leadership of Massachusetts Democratic Senator Ed Markey, is making the visit in order to ‘reaffirm the United States’ support for Taiwan. It hopes that it ‘will encourage stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait.’
Aside from Markey, the delegation comprises three Democrats and one Republican.
A spokesman for Markey said that the delegation would ‘meet with elected leaders and members of the private sector to discuss shared interests including reducing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and expanding economic cooperation, including investments in semiconductors.’
They would engage with Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, and its Foreign Minister. Joseph Wu. They would also hold discussions with Taiwanese parliamentarians.
While Taiwan welcomed the visit, China criticised it harshly.
The Chinese embassy in Washington said that his country would take ‘resolute countermeasures in response to the US’s provocations’, while embassy spokesman Liu Penyu commented on Twitter that ‘Members of the US Congress should act in consistence with the US government’s one-China policy.’