Rep. Michael McCaul’s visit to Taiwan occurred shortly after China’s large-scale military exercises around the island. The bipartisan delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul expressed support for Taiwan’s self-defense in response to China’s military drills aimed at intimidating the newly inaugurated administration of President Lai Ching-te. During a joint press conference with President Lai, Mr. McCaul condemned China’s intimidating military exercises and emphasized the importance of democracies standing together against aggression and tyranny.
The Chinese Communist Party’s military drills involved 111 warplanes and 46 naval vessels around Taiwan, testing their capabilities to seize power on the self-ruling island. The U.S. State Department expressed deep concern over China’s military provocations, highlighting the ongoing tensions in the region. Despite not being diplomatic allies, the United States remains Taiwan’s most important ally and main arms supplier under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.
The delegation, including Reps. Young Kim, Joe Wilson, Jimmy Panetta, Andy Barr, and Chrissy Houlahan, reiterated their commitment to maintaining regional peace, stability, and development in collaboration with the United States and other like-minded countries. Mr. McCaul emphasized the need for deterrence against China’s aggressive ambitions, referring to the military drills as a preview of a potential blockade. He urged swift action to clear the backlog of weapons purchased by Taiwan and reaffirmed American resolve to support Taiwan militarily, diplomatically, and economically to preserve peace in the Taiwan Strait. Please rephrase this sentence.
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