TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A bipartisan delegation of four U.S. congressmen arrived in Taiwan early Sunday (Feb. 19) morning, and were welcomed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs's (MOFA) Director of North American Affairs Hsu Yu-Tien (徐佑典).
The delegation, which will be in Taiwan for five days, includes Ro Khanna of California, Tony Gonzales of Texas, Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts, and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois. The representatives are expected to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), TSMC founder Morris Chang (張忠謀), and chief officials of Google's Taipei office to discuss bolstering links between the tech industries of Taiwan and the U.S.
Last week, Ro Khanna announced that he was planning a congressional trip to Taiwan, and that he would seek to rebalance economic and trade relations. His trip to Taiwan has been planned since the U.S. passed the CHIPS Act in August 2022, LTN reported.
The CHIPS Act is aimed at boosting semiconductor research, development, and production in the U.S., and limiting China’s access to key technologies considered important for national security. Taiwan is considered a strategic partner in the global semiconductor industry.
Khanna and Auchinschloss were both recently appointed to the newly formed House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.
In a statement on the committee assignment, Auchinschloss, who is a military veteran, said that while the U.S. can approach China with the intention of collaboration and competition, the U.S. must be prepared for conflict with China over Taiwan. "In the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea, we have to be ready to fight and win," said the congressman.
Representative Tony Gonzales, also a veteran, has likewise expressed his support for Taiwan in the past and taken a hardline towards China in recent months. On Friday (Feb. 17), he introduced a new bill in Congress that would forbid foreign adversaries like China from purchasing land near military bases or sensitive areas.
