Aug 29, 07:32 AM

US Armed Services Chair Wicker Visits Taiwan, Reaffirms Security Ties Amid Chinese Protests

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, arrived in Taipei on 29 August with a small congressional delegation that includes fellow committee member Senator Deb Fischer. The visit is the first by a head of the panel in nine years and follows stops in Hawaii, Guam, Palau and the Philippines. Meeting President Lai Ching-te at the presidential office, Wicker said Congress brings a message of “long-term friendship” and that Taiwan “absolutely has the right to remain free and preserve self-determination.” Lai responded that the island hopes to deepen security cooperation with Washington, including joint weapons design and production, and expressed a desire to resolve trade-deficit issues through ongoing tariff negotiations. Wicker’s trip precedes next week’s debate on the nearly $1 trillion National Defense Authorization Act, which he said will again expand provisions related to Taiwan. Taipei, for its part, plans to raise defence spending to more than 3% of GDP in 2026 and to 5% by 2030, aligning with U.S. calls for greater burden-sharing in the Indo-Pacific. Beijing condemned the visit, with the foreign ministry saying it “firmly opposes any official exchanges” between the United States and Taiwan and warning that the trip violates the one-China principle. China has stepped up military activity around the island and is preparing a large parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, underscoring heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Written with ChatGPT .

Sources

Additional media

Image #1 for story us-armed-services-chair-wicker-visits-taiwan-reaffirms-security-ties-amid-0a80e09d

US Armed Services Chair Wicker Visits Taiwan, Reaffirms Security Ties Amid Chinese Protests

Sources

Additional media

Similar Stories