U.S. officials touch down in Taiwan
The visit of six U.S. lawmakers to Taiwan follows earlier rumors of an intended visit by U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi β which was postponed because she tested positive for COVID.
A bipartisan group of six U.S. lawmakers landed in Taiwan on Thursday β much to Beijingβs displeasure β as part of an unannounced visit to show Washingtonβs βrock-solidβ support for the self-ruled island.
- The delegation, led by Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bob Menendez, is set to meet Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (θ‘θ±ζ CΓ i YΔ«ngwΓ©n) and the islandβs defense minister on Friday during their two-day visit.
The United States does not have any formal country-to-country relations with Taiwan, but is the islandβs most important international backer and supplier of arms and rhetorical support.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson ZhΓ o LΓ¬jiΔn θ΅΅η«ε hit out at the visit today, saying, βChina is firmly opposed to any form of official exchanges between the U.S. and Taiwan,β adding that the U.S. should βabide by the one-China principle.β
- Last week, Zhao also denounced U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosiβs rumored visit to Taiwan. (Pelosiβs trip was delayed after she tested positive for COVID-19.)
The U.S. delegation had stopped earlier in Australia, where it warned that the Solomon Islands could fall further under Chinese influence amid a controversial security pact between the two nations. Japan is planned to be the next stop on the groupβs tour.
