Congressional delegation arrives in Taiwan to discuss chips, China

With tensions between the United States and China high, the latest congressional delegation to make the trip to Taiwan continued their visit Monday after arriving over the weekend. The delegation includes Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill.

Rep. Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, said he was in Taiwan to learn about the island’s role in the semiconductor industry.

“I understand very much the important economic ties between the United States and Taiwan,” Khanna said Monday. “We look forward to those ties continuing to strengthen for innovation and manufacturing in our country, and something that will benefit Taiwan, the United States, and the world.”

Technology wasn’t the only topic at hand. Khanna and Rep. Auchincloss are both members of the new House select committee focused on competition with China.

“Our efforts to come here are in no way provocative of China, but one 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 said.

Over the weekend, China’s most senior foreign policy official said Taiwan “has never been a country and it will not be a country in the future.” During a meeting with the congressional delegation, Taiwan’s parliament speaker shot back saying the country has already become an independent sovereign nation.

“China ignores historical fact and claim to have sovereignty over Taiwan and sends fighter jets and warships near Taiwan every day. China’s obvious intention is to annex Taiwan,” Taiwanese Parliament Speaker Yu Si-kun said Monday. “It has disrupted the Indo-Pacific stability and threatened international peace. Taiwan is the bulwark of democracy in Asia and the Chinese speaking world. It is also the beacon of democracy that catalyzes China’s internal reform and opening up.”