TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former US Vice President Mike Pence has reportedly arrived in Taiwan to show support for the country.

The Hill cited two sources as saying that Pence arrived in Taiwan on Thursday with plans to meet with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴). 

On Friday, Pence is scheduled to meet with tech leaders before taking the Taiwan High Speed Rail to Taipei. He is expected to attend a dinner reception at the Taipei Guest House. 

Earlier on Thursday, Pence delivered remarks at the UBS Wealth Insights summit in Hong Kong. A source told The Hill that Pence included Taipei on his itinerary to “see for himself” and emphasize that the US would not allow Taiwan to suffer the same fate as Hong Kong. 

In a Bloomberg interview in June, Donald Trump pointed out Taiwan's distance from the US and proximity to China, suggesting Taipei should pay Washington for defense. Pence and Edwin Feulner, founder and former president of the Heritage Foundation, countered in an op-ed that distance has nothing to do with Washington's responsibility to safeguard its interests. 

They wrote, "If Taiwan is annexed, American security commitments will be viewed as empty promises." They argued that in such a security vacuum, many countries might feel compelled to develop nuclear weapons, raising the risk of proliferation and war. 

The Hill noted that Pence has undertaken multiple international trips since leaving office, often to express support for US allies. For example, he has visited Ukraine twice.

After Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing over 1,000 Israelis, Pence visited Israel in January last year.