Defiant Congress to Make Largest Taiwan Visit in Years Amid China Fallout

A group of Democrats and Republicans from the House of Representatives will arrive in Taiwan late local time on Wednesday in what will be the largest visit by Congressional members in recent years, according to reports out of Taipei.

Democratic Representative Stephanie Murphy of Florida was expected to lead a delegation of seven other U.S. lawmakers to the island beginning September 7, local news site Mnews reported on Monday. Reuters said the congressional delegation would stay in the Taiwanese capital until Friday.

Murphy, who is vice chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, will be accompanied by Representatives Kaiali'i Kahele, a Hawaii Democrat; Scott Franklin, a Florida Republican; Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican; Andy Barr, a Kentucky Republican; Darrell Issa, a California Republican; Claudia Tenney, a New York Republican and Kat Cammack, a Florida Republican, both reports said.

Reached by Newsweek on Wednesday, Taiwan's foreign ministry said it welcomed all guests from the U.S. in principle, but didn't comment on any imminent visits.

The expected arrival of the eight-member Congressional delegation will be seen in Taipei as another sign of the strong, bipartisan support the island enjoys in Congress.

It is the third visit from the U.S. legislative branch since tensions flared across the Taiwan Strait on the back of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip on August 2 and 3, when Pelosi became the most senior American official to set foot in Taiwan in 25 years.

China claims Taiwan as its own, contrary to the wishes of the Taiwanese public and its democratically elected government. Beijing has accused Washington of reneging on past commitments not to elevate U.S.-Taiwan political ties, while the White House says it has no authority over members of Congress, and that similar visits to Taipei are consistent with America's longstanding "one China" policy.

The fallout, which included a week of intense Chinese military drills that began with the firing of ballistic missiles over Taiwan, hasn't deterred U.S. lawmakers from traveling in their own shows of support.

Since Pelosi's visit, Senators Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat and Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican have made separate trips to Taipei, as have Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. Most, if not all, of the recent visits had been arranged weeks and months in advance, well before Pelosi decided to take her six-member Congressional delegation to Taiwan as part of their wider trip across Asia.

President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan has already welcomed a string of congressional visits this year, including by Senators Rick Scott, a Florida Republican and Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat respectively, as well as a bipartisan, cross-chamber Congressional delegation led by South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham—each drawing a response from Beijing.

Earlier on Wednesday, a cross-party group of French lawmakers led by Senator Cyril Pellevat arrived in Taipei for their own visit, the fourth such trip in the last 12 months. Taiwan's foreign ministry said they were expected to stay until September 12 for a trip that would include meetings with Tsai and Taiwan's Vice President William Lai.