TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A nine-member cross-party delegation of legislators from Panama arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday for a five-day visit.

Although Panama ended diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 2017, the Panama Canal remains strategically important to Taiwan and its major shipping companies, including Evergreen Marine.

The delegation’s decision to visit Taiwan drew criticism from China, whose ambassador urged the lawmakers to cancel the trip. Delegation leaders Manuel Cohen and Ronald de Gracia are joint chairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a global network of lawmakers advocating a more critical approach toward China’s authoritarian behavior.

In a statement Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the visit. The itinerary includes a meeting with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), a banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), and a meeting with Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).

The lawmakers will also meet with the Bureau of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the International Cooperation and Development Fund. Their program features tours of Hsinchu Science Park, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute, and the Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City in Tainan.

The ministry noted that Taiwan is Panama’s second-largest export destination after the US. It added that there is significant room for cooperation in smart logistics, semiconductors, and AI.