Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te reportedly held telephone talks with U.S. Congressional leaders on Thursday during his visit to Guam, the second U.S. stop on his official trip to the Pacific islands.
A presidential office spokesperson told reporters during the trip that Lai spoke with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to the Taiwan’s official news agency Central News Agency and NOWnews, a major online news media in Taiwan.
Mr. Lai also had a video conference with US Senator Roger Wicker, senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, according to media reports.
China, which considers Taiwan a rebel province, opposes any official interaction between the island’s government and Washington. The United States is the main foreign supplier of weapons for Taiwan’s defense and has naval and air bases on Guam.
Mr. Lai arrived in Guam on Wednesday evening after stops in Hawaii, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. From Guam, he was heading to Palau, the last stop on his official trip. He met with the Governor of Guam and members of Parliament, highlighting the shared values and strategic importance of Taiwan and Guam in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Together, let us become the crucial force to defend freedom and democracy in the first island chain,” he said, referring to a string of islands off the Asian mainland that includes Japan, Taiwan and part of the Philippines.
His remarks contrast with the rhetoric of Beijing’s authoritarian one-party government, which claims Taiwan as its territory and says the self-ruled island must come under its control at some point in the future.
In Beijing, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, reiterated previous government statements on official U.S. interactions with Taiwan. He said that “the Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations.”
-“China will take strong measures to firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said, when asked about the reported call with Mr Johnson, the House speaker. representatives. Voice of America previously reported the call with Mr. Johnson, citing anonymous sources, but not the other two calls.
Mr. Lai’s discussions with Republican and Democratic leaders appeared intended to reaffirm bipartisan support for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress.
China’s Foreign Ministry also announced sanctions on 13 U.S. companies and six executives on Thursday in response to recently announced arms sales to Taiwan. These executives include the president and vice president of Raytheon’s “Naval Power” strategic business unit. The sanctions include a ban on entry to China, including Hong Kong and Macau.
“US attempts to aid Taiwan’s independence by arming Taiwan will not shake our firm resolve to oppose Taiwan’s independence and achieve national reunification, and will only push Taiwan into a dangerous situation military conflict,” spokesman Lin said.
A resolution from the Guam Legislature welcomed President Lai and expressed appreciation for Taiwan’s “significant contributions to Guam’s economy and community,” said Legislative Speaker Therese Terlaje.
The three Pacific island nations that the Taiwanese president visited — the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau — are among 12 governments that diplomatically recognize Taiwan. The rest of the world, including the United States, maintains official relations with the Chinese government in Beijing.
