A new five-member delegation is visiting the self-governing island in an effort to “reaffirm America’s support for Taiwan” and “promote stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait,” Markey’s spokesman said in a statement.
The delegation includes Democrats Reps. John Karamendi, Alan Lowenthal and Don Beyer and Republican Rep. Amuah Amata Coleman Rathewagen.
During the visit, the Marqui-led delegation will meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, and discuss security and trade issues with the Foreign Affairs and National Security Committee of Taiwan’s parliament, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said. .
The Foreign Ministry warmly welcomed the delegation and thanked them for showing strong US support for Taiwan despite rising tensions with Beijing.
A spokesman for the senator said he would “meet with elected leaders and members of the private sector to discuss shared interests, including reducing tensions across the Taiwan Strait and expanding economic cooperation, including investments in semiconductors.”
During her visit to Taiwan, Pelosi, a California Democrat, said she intended to make it “unequivocally clear” that the United States “will not abandon” the democratically-ruled island.
In response to the speaker’s visit, China’s defense ministry said it had launched exercises in both the seas and airspace around Taiwan. In addition to the drills, Beijing has canceled future phone calls between the Chinese and US defense chiefs, suspended bilateral climate talks and allowed Pelosi and her immediate family.
The United States maintains close unofficial relations with Taiwan, and is bound by law to supply Taiwan with defensive weapons. But it remains deliberately vague about whether it will defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, known as “strategic ambiguity.”
This story has been updated with additional background information.
CNN’s Daniela Diaz, Jeremy Herb, Wayne Chang and Rhea Mogul contributed to this report.
