Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, recently joined Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific Chairwoman Young Kim (R-CA), Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia Chairman Joe Wilson (R-SC), Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) on a bipartisan congressional delegation visit to Taiwan as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) escalates tensions in the Indo-Pacific. Members of the delegation met with the newly inaugurated President, Lai Ching-Te, and other administration officials to express their strong bipartisan support for Taiwan.
“We are proud to have been the first U.S. congressional delegation to meet with President Lai and senior members of his new administration,” the lawmakers wrote. “In our meetings, we reaffirmed our support for Taiwan amidst the Chinese Communist Party’s continued aggression in the region by ensuring Taiwan has the tools it needs to defend itself. We also discussed ways for the United States to deepen our economic ties to Taiwan and expand our diplomatic cooperation. Taiwan is a thriving democracy and a valuable partner to the United States in the Pacific.”
"This bipartisan congressional delegation was not just a routine welcome to newly elected President Lai. This mission was critical to sending a strong message of deterrence across the Taiwan Strait," said Congressman Barr. "History has revealed that appeasement and weakness invites aggression. We want to be clear in our support for a democratic Taiwan, and condemn any CCP aggression or military encirclement of the island. The United States stands with Taiwan."
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