US lawmakers arrive in Taiwan amid China tensions

A delegation of US lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a two-day visit, during which they will meet President Tsai ing-wen, the second high-profile group to come amid ongoing military tensions with the neighboring island giant. China.

Beijing, which says Taiwan has ruled democratically as its own territory, has held military drills around the island to express its anger at this month’s visit to Taipei by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The de facto US embassy in Taipei said the delegation is being led by Senator Ed Markey, who is being joined by four other lawmakers on what it described as part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region.

Taiwan’s presidential office said the group would meet with Tsai on Monday morning.

“Especially at a time when China is raising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the region with military exercises, Markey leading a delegation to visit Taiwan once again demonstrates the United States Congress’ steadfast support for Taiwan,” it said in a statement.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published photos of four of the group being found at Songshan Airport in central Taipei, arriving on a US Air Force transport jet, as Markey arrived at Taoyuan International Airport.

“The delegation will meet with Taiwan’s senior leaders to discuss US-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, global supply chains, climate change and other significant issues of mutual interest,” the de facto US embassy said.

Although China’s exercises around Taiwan have subsided, it is still carrying out military activities.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Sunday it had detected 22 Chinese aircraft and six naval ships in and around the Taiwan Strait.

*Posted by Daniel Reis