More US lawmakers land in Taiwan - what will China do?

Monday, August 15th 2022 - 08:22 UTC

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Senator Ed Markey's delegation is to meet with local officials to discuss security matters among other topics

Five US lawmakers landed in Taipei Sunday in yet another trip by Parliamentarians from that country after a recent visit headed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi heated tensions with Beijing, which regard the island as a Chinese rogue province.

The group led by Senator Ed Markey, from Massachusetts, was also formed by his fellow Democrats Reps. John Garamendi and Alan Lowenthal of California, and Don Beyer of Virginia, as well as Republican Rep. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, from American Samoa.

Markey and his entourage are expected to hold talks with local officials regarding regional security, among other issues.

“Vice Minister [Alexander Tah-ray] Yui extended the warmest of welcomes to Taiwan's longstanding friend Sen. Markey and his cross-party delegation,” Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We thank the like-minded U.S. lawmakers for the timely visit and unwavering support.”

The American Institute in Taiwan said in a statement that the “delegation will meet with senior Taiwan leaders to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, global supply chains, climate change, and other significant issues of mutual interest.”

Markey's delegation also met Sunday with South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol to discuss bilateral trade and “the size, diversity, and lethality of North Korea's weapons continues to grow, as does its threat to our allies in the region,” as per a statement from the Senator. “In my meetings and my visit to the DMZ, we discussed how to continue multilateral pressure and diplomatic efforts to reach a solution that ensures the American people and our allies are safe from a nuclear Kim regime,” he added.

Following the 1949 Chinese Civil War, Taiwan refused to fall under China's Communist rule. But China views it and its 23 million residents as a wayward province to be retaken in due time.

Pelosi “played right into their hands because now they have an excuse to do what they're going to do,” former President Donald Trump said last week in Texas. Her August 2 trip exacerbated tensions as China carried out live-fire military maneuvers and sanctions against Taiwan.

Last Wednesday, in her first press conference since her trip, Pelosi said that the United States will not allow China to isolate Taiwan and noted that the purpose of her visit was to reaffirm “the strong relationship” between her country and the island.

He who plays with fire shall die by it, China had warned US President Joseph Biden before Pelosi's journey.