A U.S. lawmaker confirmed on Tuesday that an upcoming visit to Taiwan is in the works but that dates have yet to be finalized.
The Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party invited former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta for a hearing on Tuesday regarding the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) support for U.S. adversaries.
Republican lawmaker Mike Gallagher, who chairs the Select Committee, confirmed plans to visit Taiwan in an interview after the hearing, but said that this is still being discussed with no exact timeline being set.
When asked whether Taiwan remains a priority issue for the U.S. given the conflicts in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war, Gallagher responded with a firm yes. He said that lessons learned from the failure in the Middle East can be applied to the Indo-Pacific region. Gallagher added that by ignoring the issue or not prioritizing the region, then a greater price would be paid should there be another war.
Gallagher emphasized that the focus of the U.S. is on deterrence and preventing conflict between Taiwan and China. This is why the Indo-Pacific remains a top priority and reinforcing deterrence while developing a global strategy together with allies and partners is important.