A bipartisan pair of U.S. lawmakers have made their first official visit to Taiwan under the Trump administration, which is reportedly to show China and Taiwan that the U.S. support for the island nation’s defense remains.
According to the Associated Press, the trip came after President Donald Trump had harsh words for the Taiwanese, as well as the implementation of stiff tariffs.
Taiwan in response has relayed the message to the Democratic and Republican senators that they are willing to act on complaints raised by Trump.
The Trump administration has implemented sweeping tariffs on many Asia-Pacific countries, and European allies at the beginning of April, including a 32% tariff on Taiwan.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said that the conversations in Taiwan this week have been “optimistic and forward-looking,” adding that he is “optimistic that we’re going to see a strong next chapter in U.S.-Taiwan relations.”
This includes commitments from Taiwan to swiftly negotiate new trade and investment agreements aligned with the Trump administration’s priorities, alongside the advanced semiconductor company’s remarkable $100 billion investment in U.S. chip manufacturing this year.
Taiwan has stated its commitment to rapidly strengthening its military, with the goal to become more agile, self-reliant, and less dependent on the U.S., positioning itself as a deterrent against China.
This effort includes pursuing collaborations with Americans in drone warfare technology, according to U.S. lawmakers.
Sens. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Chris Coons are the leading Republican and Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s East Asia subcommittee. Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) is also part of the delegation.
The lawmakers shared remarks ahead of their planned discussions on Friday with President Lai Ching-te, Defense Minister Wellington Koo, and National Security Adviser Joseph Wu.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out suing force to take the island back. However, the democratically run, independent nation that was founded after the end of the Chinese civil war, have become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of semiconductors – an important commodity for the U.S. as it is use in many applications, including military weapons.
Trump has often said Taiwan took the U.S. computer chip industry, a criticism that has sparked fears that the U.S. will not defend Taiwan if China decides to invade. The 32% tariffs also reportedly threw off the Taiwanese who thought their government had shown loyalty to the U.S., the AP reported.
“Look past the rhetoric and look at the action,” Ricketts said.
Coons noted that China’s President Xi Jinping could, however, take aggressive action, but pointed out that there would be a “forceful and united response.”
“Of course, there is the possibility that Xi Jinping would decide that this is the right time for the Chinese Communist Party to take aggressive action,” Coons said. “I think it’s exactly the wrong thing for them to do. I think they would find a forceful and united response.”
