TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) on Saturday (Jan. 20) expressed confidence that Taiwan’s parliamentary diplomacy would continue despite Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interference.

Over the past four years, more than 3,400 individuals hailing from 79 countries visited Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan in 229 delegations, You said, per Liberty Times. This was despite three years of the pandemic, he added. He noted that some lawmakers from countries that had diplomatic ties with China delivered speeches.

You wondered what the newly elected Legislative speaker would do if they were contacted by the CCP to refrain from traveling to diplomatic allies or to visit China. He said that as someone viewed unfavorably by the CCP, he would pay it no mind.

Reflecting on his travels, You pointed out that he had visited many European countries, all of which maintain ties with China, such as France, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic. He added that he delivered speeches in their parliaments.

You’s comments come as two separate U.S. Congress delegations are scheduled to visit Taiwan next week.

The first group includes Ami Bera, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Indo-Pacific Subcommittee, and two Republican co-chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Mario Diaz-Balart and Andy Barr. The second group will include Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the bipartisan House China Committee.