US Senator Roger Wicker, head of Senate armed services panel, to visit Taiwan
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Republican US Senator Roger Wicker will lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan this month.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- US Senator Roger Wicker will lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan in August amid concerns about US commitment to Asia-Pacific security.
- China opposes "any form of official exchanges between the US and Taiwan" and urges lawmakers to cancel their visit, citing the "one-China principle".
- Wicker, a strong Taiwan advocate, is likely to anger Beijing, which views such support as a challenge to its claim over the island.
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WASHINGTON - US Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, will lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan in August, a senior congressional official said on July 31.
The trip, which was first reported by the Financial Times, takes place as some members of Congress - both President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans and Democrats - have expressed concern that Mr Trump is de-emphasising security issues as he works on negotiating a trade deal with China.
Lawmakers have proposed legislation to put pressure on China and voiced unhappiness with reports that Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is set to delay a diplomatically sensitive trip
Administration officials have said that Mr Trump remains fully committed to Asia-Pacific security matters as he pursues his trade agenda and a good personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr Wicker’s upcoming trip.
Mr Wicker is one of the fiercest advocates in the US Congress for Taiwan, and his visit is likely to anger Beijing, which regularly denounces any shows of support for Taipei from Washington.
The Chinese embassy urged Mr Wicker and lawmakers to cancel their plans.
“China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the US and Taiwan and urges the relevant lawmakers to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques and immediately cancel their plans to visit Taiwan,” the spokesperson said in a post on X.com.
China claims the democratically governed island as its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Beijing has stepped up military and political pressure against the island in recent years. REUTERS
