US lawmakers to meet Taiwan president as China seethes

US lawmakers to meet Taiwan president as China seethes

The unannounced two-day visit came after Pelosi infuriated Beijing by visiting capital Taipei
The unannounced two-day visit came after Pelosi infuriated Beijing by visiting capital Taipei. Photo: Handout / MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS/AFP
Source: AFP

New feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡️ find “Recommended for you” block and enjoy!

United States lawmakers were set to meet Taiwan's president on Monday days after China reacted to a similar visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with huge military drills that raised fears of conflict.

The unannounced two-day trip came after Beijing sent warships, missiles and jets into the waters and skies around Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy that China's leaders claim and have vowed to one day seize.

The five-member congressional delegation -- led by Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts -- was due to hold a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday morning followed by a banquet at the foreign ministry.

Their visit will focus on trade, regional security and climate change, Washington's de facto embassy in Taipei said.

Taiwan's foreign ministry hailed the visit as another sign of a friendship between Taipei and Washington "that is not afraid of China's threats and intimidation".

Read also

US congressional delegation arrives in Taiwan on heels of Pelosi visit

But the bipartisan trip sparked another caustic response from Beijing, which has drawn down its drills but pressed on with military patrols in the Taiwan Strait.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!

State news agency Xinhua published a commentary after the lawmakers' arrival Sunday with the headline 'US politicians should stop playing with fire on Taiwan question'.

It called the visiting American lawmakers opportunists thinking about their own political interests as November's midterm elections draw near.

"Those US politicians who are playing with fire on the Taiwan question should drop their wishful thinking," the agency said.

"There is no room for compromise or concessions when it comes to China's core interests," it said.

Taiwan's government has accused Beijing of using Pelosi's visit as an excuse to kickstart drills that would allow it to rehearse for an invasion.

Read also

US to boost Taiwan trade, conduct air, sea transits

China's communist party has never ruled Taiwan but says it will use force if necessary to take the island.

'Red lines'

That decades-old threat was reiterated in a white paper published last week when China's Taiwan Affairs Office said it would "not renounce the use of force" against its neighbour and reserved "the option of taking all necessary measures".

It added, however: "We will only be forced to take drastic measures to respond to the provocation of separatist elements or external forces should they ever cross our red lines."

Pelosi has stood by her visit but President Joe Biden said the US military was opposed to the trip by his fellow Democrat who is second in line to the presidency after the vice president.

Congress is constitutionally an equal branch of government with lawmakers free to travel where they wish, and Taiwan enjoys bipartisan backing in divided Washington.

Read also

China warns it will not tolerate Taiwan 'separatists'

The United States switched diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

But it remains a key ally of Taiwan and maintains de facto diplomatic relations with Taipei.

Washington's official policy opposes both Taiwan declaring independence or China forcibly changing the island's status.

It remains deliberately ambiguous about whether it would militarily come to Taiwan's aid if China invaded.

Visits by senior US officials to Taiwan have happened for decades and even Pelosi's trip was not without precedent -- previous house speaker Newt Gingrich visited in 1997.

But the frequency and profile of US visits has increased both under former President Donald Trump and Biden.

Taiwan has also seen a flurry of delegations visit from Europe and other western allies in recent years, partly in response to Beijing's more aggressive stance under Chinese President Xi Jinping.

New feature: check out news exactly for YOU ➡️ find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.