Congress Welcomes Taiwan Leader to DC  06/25 06:21

   

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday 
pledged firm support for the self-governed island of Taiwan as they welcomed 
Han Kuo-yu, president of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, to Washington, at a time 
the Trump administration is reviewing a $14 billion arms sales package to 
Taiwan, months after it got preliminary congressional approval.

   More than 30 House representatives, both Democratic and Republican, streamed 
into the reception at the Longworth House Office Building to show their 
support, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D.-California; Rep. Michael 
McCaul, a Texas Republican and former chair of the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee; and Ted Lieu, a California Democrat who serves as the vice chair of 
the House Democratic Caucus.

   "I love Taiwan," declared McCaul, as he welcomed Han. "It's very important 
to me to say that the United States supports you, Mr. Speaker."

   "The support for Taiwan is bipartisan and bicameral -- both houses, both 
parties," Pelosi said. "It's about peace. It's also about commerce in terms of 
keeping the ships able to travel here."

   Han, who is leading an eight-person parliamentary delegation, arrived in the 
nation's capital on Tuesday night after a stop in Phoenix, Arizona, where the 
chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is building new fabs and 
producing advanced chips crucial to powering the A.I. boom. TSMC is the poster 
child of Taiwan's importance to the U.S. economy.

   The delegation met seven Democratic senators earlier Wednesday, including 
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee. It wasn't clear if Republicans senators also met the 
visiting lawmakers.

   The Democrats called on the Trump administration to move ahead with the $14 
billion in arms sales to Taiwan without further delay. "We remain committed to 
maintaining close and friendly relations with Taiwan, providing Taiwan with 
arms for self-defense and supporting deterrence against growing coercion from 
the People's Republic of China," they said in a statement.

   Taiwan, which Beijing claims to be part of the Chinese territory and vows to 
seize by force if necessary, is a highly thorny issue in U.S.-China relations. 
Washington is obligated by a domestic law to provide the island with sufficient 
hardware to fend off any invasion from the mainland. President Donald Trump, 
after his May trip to Beijing, has said he would be reviewing the $14 billion 
arms sales package, which Beijing strongly opposes. Trump also has suggested 
that the arms sales package could be a bargaining chip. Secretary of State 
Marco Rubio has said the U.S. policy on Taiwan remains unchanged.

   On Wednesday, several U.S. lawmakers showed their support for the arms sales 
package.

   "I'm here today ... to affirm in the strongest terms that Taiwan is not a 
bargaining chip. It is an island of freedom. And we need to do all we can to 
preserve it," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D.-Texas. " I believe we need to make 
available every weapon that Taiwan needs in its defense as quickly as it 
becomes possible."

   Lieu criticized the Trump administration for holding up the $14 billion 
package. "I urge the administration to reverse that and to allow their arms 
sale to proceed," he said.

   Han, who is a member of Taiwan's opposition KMT party, in his speech 
complimented the U.S. for its achievements in the past 250 years and said the 
island, like the U.S., cherishes the value of freedom and democracy and that 
both sides shoulder the responsibilities of safeguarding the democratic system 
and of maintaining regional stability and peace.

   Han touted the robust trade between Taiwan and the U.S. The island of 23 
million people has surpassed Germany as the fourth-largest trading partner of 
the U.S., largely driven by the demand for Taiwan's advanced chips and other 
tech hardware.

   Han also urged the U.S. to help Taiwan gain more international space. No 
country can have diplomatic ties with both Beijing and Taipei because of 
China's territorial claim over the island. Only 12 governments, including the 
Holy See, still recognize Taiwan's statehood. Beijing also has kept Taiwan out 
of many international organizations, including the World Health Organization.

   "On the international stage, Taiwan feels very lonely in its heart," Han 
said. "I am here asking Taiwan's good friends in Congress ... to help us 
participate in global activities."

   Han is scheduled to leave on Friday for the inaugural nonstop flight by the 
Taiwanese carrier EVA Air between Washington Dulles International Airport and 
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which has also been touted as proof of 
deepening U.S.-Taiwan ties.