US Congressional Delegation Visits Taiwan 美跨黨派5參眾議員 今見總統並訪立院

China has launched a series of military exercises around Taiwan following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit. Now, U.S. Senator Edward Markey, chairperson of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Asia-Pacific Subcommittee led a bipartisan delegation to visit Taiwan, arriving on the night of the 14th.

The U.S. Air Force C-40C executive plane arrived at Songshan Airport around 7 p.m. on the 14th. Following the visit of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a U.S. congressional delegation arrived in Taiwan again within two weeks. The delegation includes the Democratic U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Chairman of its Asia-Pacific Subcommittee Edward Markey, Democratic Representatives John Garamendi, Alan Lowenthal, Don Beyer, and Republican Representative Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen. At about 10 a.m. on the 15th, the delegation arrived at the Presidential Office to visit President Tsai Ing-wen.

Joanne Ou, Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “As China continues to escalate regional tensions, the U.S. Congress sent a heavyweight delegation of senators and representatives to Taiwan. It shows that the United States is not afraid of China's intimidation and our friendship. And at the same time, it shows the strong support of the United States for Taiwan.”
 

The American Institute in Taiwan said that the delegation will mainly focus on important issues related to the interests of both sides, such as U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade, and investment. This bipartisan delegation includes both Democratic and Republican lawmakers from the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and the House Veterans Affairs Committee. The delegation also met the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and National Defense Committee.

China recently expressed its dissatisfaction with Pelosi's Taiwan visit with military exercises around the Taiwan Strait. It continues to conduct live-fire drills in the Bohai Sea from the 12th to the 18th and in the Yellow Sea from the 15th to the 21st. Many PLA jets breached Taiwan's southwest ADIZ many times on the 15th and was driven away by Taiwan's air force's broadcast.

“This is a Republic of China Air Force broadcast. To the People's Liberation Army aircraft located at an elevation of 7,000 meters in Taiwan's southwest airspace, you have already entered our ADIZ and are affecting our flight safety. Turn around and leave immediately.”

U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was on alert in the Philippine Sea during Pelosi's Taiwan visit. It recently returned to Taiwan's eastern waters, which has also been interpreted as guarding the U.S. congressional delegation. 

這架美國空軍C-40C行政專機在14日晚間7時左右飛抵松山機場，繼美國眾議院議長裴洛西率團來訪之後，2周內再度有國會議員組團來台，這次美國國會訪問團成員包括民主黨籍的美國參議院外交委員會亞太小組主席馬基、眾議員勒曼帝、魯文索、貝耶以及共和黨籍的眾議員羅德薇。15日上午10時左右，訪團車隊來到總統府前的凱達格蘭大道，要拜會總統蔡英文。

外交部發言人歐江安表示：「在中國持續升高區域緊張情勢的時候，美國國會再度籌組重量級的國會參議員和眾議員訪團來台灣，彰顯了美方無畏中國威嚇，恐嚇我方的友我情誼，並且同時彰顯美國對台灣的強力支持。」

美國在台協會表示，訪問團此行來台主要關注美台關係、區域安全，貿易與投資等等雙方利益相關重要議題。這次的訪問團橫跨參眾兩院、與民主共和兩黨，其中也有成員來自參議院外交委員會、眾議院的軍事委員會與退伍軍人事務委員會。訪問團在近中午時，也特別前往立法院拜會外交及國防委員會。

中國日前在台海周邊軍演表達對裴洛西來訪不滿之後，12日起在渤海海域進行實彈射擊至18日10時為止，黃海海域則在15日8時起至21號18時止，共機15日上午被記錄到多次入侵我西南空域，遭我方廣播驅離。

中華民國空軍廣播：「位於台灣西南空域，高度七千公尺的中共軍機注意，你已進入我空域，影響我飛航安全，立即迴轉脫離。」

而裴洛西訪台期間，在菲律賓海戒備的美國航空母艦雷根號，近日也再度回到我國東方海域，也被解讀頗有為美國國會訪問團戒護意味。