US lawmakers touch down in Taiwan for five-day visit, defying China

A bipartisan congressional delegation is in Taiwan ​this week — the latest show of defiance to Beijing as tensions linger over the Chinese spy balloon that flew over much of the United States earlier this month. 

The group – composed of Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna of California, Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois as well as Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas – arrived Sunday for a five-day visit to the self-ruled island.  

The four are expected to meet with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, members of the legislature and a number of business executives, including Morris Chang, the founder of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. ​

Khanna, whose district includes Silicon Valley, said he was interested in learning more about the country’s ​work with semiconductors. He and Auchincloss are also members of the newly formed House select committee on China. 

Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway territory and has considered uniting the island by force if necessary, opposes any exchanges between Taipei and foreign governments.

China has ramped up pressure on Taiwan and has routinely conducted military exercises in the region. 

When then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited Taiwan last August, a furious China staged its largest military drills in 25 years and cut off lines of military communication with the US.

“Our efforts to come here are in no way provocative of China, but consistent with the president’s foreign policy that recognizes the importance of the relationship like Taiwan, while still seeking ultimately, peace in the region,” Khanna told the Associated Press.

You Si-kun, the head of Taiwan’s legislature, met with the US delegation on Monday and addressed comments made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi ​over the weekend at the Munich Security Conference. 

Wang said Taiwan “has never been a country and it will not be a country in the future.”

“China ignores historical fact and claims to have sovereignty over Taiwan. Taiwan has already become an independent sovereign nation. … Taiwan has never been ruled by the People’s Republic of China for a single day,” You said.

Wang also​ met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the annual conference in Germany, and the two diplomats sparred over the Chinese spy ​balloon that was brought down Feb. 4 off the South Carolina coast.

Blinken said Wang offered “no apology” for the spy balloon during their meeting in which he warned that the incident was “unacceptable and can never happen again.”

Earlier Wang accused the US of being “hysterical” in shooting down the aircraft, noting it was “absurd” that it violated international norms.