Washington, D.C.— Last week, U.S. Representative Andy Barr (R-Ky) visited Taiwan on a bipartisan Congressional delegation led by U.S. Representative Stephanie Murphy (D-FL). Rep. Barr, who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation (APCAN) as well as the House China Task Force, released this statement following his trip:

“Taiwan is a proven international partner for the United States on trade, global health, and so many other issues. The island is critical to the U.S. economy and to Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District, with over 80% of the world’s advanced semiconductors being produced in Taiwan. Many of these semiconductors go right into automobiles produced at the Toyota manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, right in the heart of the Sixth District.

“Recently, Taiwan has been the target of increased military aggression by the Chinese Communist Party. This delegation trip reinforces the strong commitment the United States has to our special relationship with Taiwan. We must send a strong message to Beijing that our support for Taiwan is unwavering. We must also work to expeditiously deliver arms sales from the U.S. to Taiwan and I encourage U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to pursue a bilateral trade deal with Taiwan to enhance our economic relationship.”