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A bipartisan group of US lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Sunday to meet with the newly elected President Lai Ching-te.

The delegation, led by Rep. Michael McCaul, R-TX, is the first group of current US officials to meet with President Lai after China concluded two days of military drills around the island. In a brief statement, Congressman McCaul said, “Leading this historic and bipartisan CODEL to Taiwan — the first U.S. congressional delegation to meet with the newly elected Taiwan officials — sends a signal to the Chinese Communist Party that the United States stands with the people of Taiwan and will work to maintain the status quo across the Taiwan Straight. I look forward to meeting senior Taiwan leaders and members of civil society to continue strengthening our bilateral relationship on all fronts.” He added, “I think it’s very important that we show our strong support for Taiwan. I think it is a deterrent.” 

During their visit, the US lawmakers plan to meet with senior Taiwanese officials to understand the new administration’s priorities. They will also engage with the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto US Embassy, to discuss the US-Taiwan relations, which relies on defensive weapons and international support from the United States despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties.

This development comes after Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin warned US officials against visiting Taiwan. He said, “Any visit by congressional members to Taiwan will seriously violate the one-China principle . . . interfere in China’s internal affairs, undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and send a seriously wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.” Wenbin also demanded that US officials stop communicating with Taiwanese officials or “all consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the US.”