The United States sent a delegation of former US defense officials on an unannounced two-day visit to Taiwan on Tuesday. The visit is seen as a sign of solid relations between Taipei and Washington.
Days after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden is sending a delegation of former defense officials to Taiwan. Leading the delegation is former Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen, with former security officials Michele Flournoy and Meghan O’Sullivan, and former National Security Council senior directors for Asia, Mike Green and Evan Medeiros.
The delegation will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and hold talks on Taiwan-US relations, and how to maintain regional peace and stability.
Premier Su Tseng-chang says that the visit shows the United States’ strong support for Taiwan and indicates that the US values regional security.
When asked if the visit might add tension to the situation in the Taiwan Strait during the Ukraine crisis, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that the Taiwan Strait has always been in a tense situation, and that Taiwan should be prepared.
Ruling party lawmaker Lo Chih-cheng says that the US is sending a message to China that the US is determined to defend Taiwan.
Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary of State Michele J. Sison is calling for the UN to include Taiwan. Sison made the statement while meeting with Taiwan’s envoy to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, on Tuesday.