A U.S. Congressional Delegation, led by Rep. Mike Gallagher, “Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party,” wrapped up two days of meetings in Taipei on Feb. 23. According to a statement issued by the American Institute in Taiwan, the delegation met with President Tsai Ing-wen, Vice President William Lai, National Security Council Secretary General Wellington Koo, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, members of civil society, and private sector representatives. The delegation also included Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA).
“Time and again Taiwan has shown the world how to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party’s bullying and not only survive but thrive. We are thrilled to be in Taipei to show support for our friends in Taiwan, President-elect Lai, and the newly elected Legislative Yuan” Taiwan’s unicameral legislature, said Gallagher in a statement released by the committee.
The Congressional members also pumped up the island’s connection with the Ukraine war for extra effect. “Taiwan is extremely interested in Ukraine, and extremely worried that we might walk away from Ukraine,” Gallagher said. “They are watching the supplemental requests for Ukraine like hawks and they view Ukraine prevailing against the criminal invasion by Russia as incredibly important in sending a message to the Chinese Communist Party,” Krishnamoorthi said.
The visit came in the middle of a dustup between Washington and Beijing over the State Department’s approval of the potential sale of an advanced tactical data link system to Taiwan for $75 million. Beijing opposes the sale.
“The U.S. arms sales to China’s Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué of 1982,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters on Feb. 22. “Such sales undermine China’s sovereignty and security interests, and harm China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China always firmly opposes them. We urge the U.S. to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, stop selling arms to Taiwan and having military contact with Taiwan, and stop creating factors that could cause tensions in the Taiwan Strait.”
As for Gallagher’s visit, “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” Mao said earlier in her briefing. “China opposes any form of official interaction between the U.S. and Taiwan authorities and rejects U.S. interference in Taiwan affairs in whatever form or under whatever pretext. We urge the U.S. to be mindful of the extreme complexity and sensitivity of the Taiwan question, abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, prudently and properly handle issues relating to Taiwan, stop official contact with Taiwan and stop sending any wrong signal to the separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence.’”
