US visits reinforce Taiwan's resolve to defend itself: Tsai

TAIPEI • Recent visits by US officials have reinforced Taiwan's determination to defend itself, President Tsai Ing-wen said yesterday as she met the latest American lawmaker to arrive on the island, in defiance of Beijing.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told a briefing with foreign media yesterday that China's huge military drills conducted around Taiwan have only made allies more determined to visit the island and show solidarity.

China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified, by force if necessary, launched military drills around the island after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited on Aug 2. On Aug 14, a bipartisan group of five US lawmakers, led by Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, visited Taiwan.

This was followed by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb on Sunday. And late on Thursday, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn touched down in Taipei.

Meeting Ms Blackburn at the presidential office yesterday, Ms Tsai praised the visits.

"In recent times, many public figures from a broad spectrum of US society have visited Taiwan.

"These warm acts of kindness and firm demonstrations of support have reinforced Taiwan's determination to defend itself," Ms Tsai said, in remarks carried live on her social media pages.

The US, like most other countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is bound by law to provide it with the means to defend itself.

Ms Blackburn, a Republican who sits on the Senate Commerce and Armed Services committees, told Ms Tsai: "It is important indeed that freedom-loving nations support Taiwan as they seek to preserve their independence and their freedom."

Ms Tsai said fellow democracies must work together to ensure more secure and resilient supply chains, and added that she was "delighted" to see Taiwanese semiconductor companies investing in the United States.

Ms Tsai also said Taiwan would like to be "further integrated" into the Biden administration's new Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which the island has been excluded from, and other regional economic cooperation architecture.

Ms Blackburn later delivered a hawkish speech.

"Anyone who has any sense of history knows that (Chinese President) Xi Jinping will not stop threatening the safety and security of Taiwan simply because it would be in everyone's best interest to do so," she said.

"He is not a normal leader and he has no interest in normal reactions or relations with the rest of the world."

US legislators are not the only ones to visit the island.

Ms Tsai also hosted two Japanese parliamentarians earlier this week, and British and Canadian members of Parliament are expected later this year.

"It shows Taiwan is not alone dealing with the big bully across the Taiwan Strait," Mr Wu told reporters, referring to China.

"Because of the military pressure that China has demonstrated against Taiwan, there are more people than ever who want to come and show their support," he added.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE