"'Daejung Maepa' US House China Committee Chair to Visit Taiwan Next Week"

Mike Gallagher, Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' U.S.-China Strategic Competition Subcommittee (Republican, Wisconsin), is reported to be visiting Taipei next week to express support for President-elect Lai Ching-te ahead of his inauguration.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media on the 14th (local time), Gallagher, a prominent China hawk, is expected to arrive in Taiwan on the 21st leading a delegation of seven lawmakers. The delegation is known to plan meetings with President-elect Lai Ching-te, who is set to be inaugurated in May, and Han Kuo-yu, the recently elected Legislative Yuan Speaker (National Assembly Speaker) from the Kuomintang.

Gallagher’s office did not respond to requests for comment on the report. However, he had previously confirmed on a conservative podcast that he was planning a visit to Taiwan this spring.

Gallagher has consistently called for strengthened controls on advanced technology exports to China and tighter investment restrictions while leading the China subcommittee. Especially amid increasing Chinese military aggression targeting Taiwan, he has raised his voice in support of Taiwan. However, Gallagher has announced that he will not seek re-election in the next House election.

The U.S. has warned China against taking aggressive actions targeting Taiwan ahead of President-elect Lai Ching-te’s inauguration. Meanwhile, China has opposed visits by U.S. politicians to Taiwan, claiming they violate the "One China" principle. Strong opposition from the Chinese government is expected regarding Gallagher’s upcoming visit.

Previously, after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2022, China cut off military communications between the U.S. and China and conducted military exercises to blockade Taiwan as a show of force. The suspended U.S.-China military communication channels were only resumed after a meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.