Biden’s friend Todd arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday (April 14), the same day the Chinese Communist Party announced a live-fire exercise in the South China Sea.
A White House statement said the “unofficial” delegation comes as the United States and Taiwan mark the 42nd anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act. Biden voted for the act when he was a U.S. senator.
The statement said the delegation would meet with senior Taiwanese officials and follow “a long-standing bipartisan tradition of sending high-level, unofficial delegations to Taiwan in the U.S. government.
The White House statement said, “The United States stands with our friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific region to promote our shared prosperity, security, and values, which includes deepening our relationship with Taiwan.”
The statement said:- “The United States is committed to engaging with Taiwan and deepening our cooperation on shared interests in accordance with the U.S. ‘One China’ policy.”
The delegation’s special plane is reported to have arrived at Songshan Airport at around 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
During the three-day visit, the U.S. delegation will have dinner with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen and the head of Taiwan’s foreign affairs department and discuss bilateral ties, Taiwan said.
Taiwan’s official media Central News Agency reported Wednesday that Taiwanese officials will brief the U.S. delegation on China’s recent provocations against Taiwan and the region as a whole, and call for increased support from Washington on trade, security and economic issues.
Taiwan’s foreign affairs department said the U.S. delegation’s visit to Taiwan is a strong vote of confidence by the United States in Taiwan “and its freedom- and democracy-loving people.”
Meanwhile, the Guangdong Maritime Bureau issued a navigational warning on Wednesday that a live-fire drill will be conducted in the South China Sea, near the Nanpeng Islands. The specific time is from April 15 to 20, from 0800 to 1800 hours daily.
In response, an unnamed spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State responded to media inquiries with a background note today, saying the U.S. noted and was concerned about the ongoing pattern of intimidation by the Chinese Communist Party in the region, including against Taiwan. The United States urges Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan militarily, diplomatically and economically and to engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan instead.
The spokesperson noted that the U.S. will continue to deepen its unofficial security relationship with Taiwan to ensure that Taiwan has sufficient capabilities to defend itself.
The spokesman also emphasized that the United States expects Beijing to fulfill its commitment to resolve cross-strait differences peacefully. The United States will stand with friends and allies to defend and advance the prosperity, security and values shared in the Indo-Pacific region.
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