Taiwan’s leader said on Friday that China and Russia were “disrupting and threatening the world order” with Beijing’s recent large-scale military exercises near the island and Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. President Tsai Ing-wen was speaking during a meeting in Taipei with US Senator Marsha Blackburn, who is on her second congressional visit following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip earlier this month. That visit prompted China to launch military exercises in which it launched numerous missiles and sent dozens of warplanes and naval vessels to effectively encircle the island. A few ships crossed the center line in the Taiwan Strait, which had long been a reserve between the sides. China claims Taiwan as its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. Beijing has also strengthened its ties with Russia and is seen as tacitly supporting Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. “These developments demonstrate how authoritarian countries are disrupting and threatening the world order,” Tsai said. Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, affirmed the shared values between the two governments and said she “looks forward to continuing to support Taiwan as they move forward as an independent nation.” In later remarks at the Foreign Office’s Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, Blackburn criticized leaders she did not see as taking the threat from authoritarian regimes seriously enough. Xi Jinping, China’s president and leader of the ruling Communist Party, “will not stop threatening Taiwan’s safety and security simply because it would be in everyone’s interest to do so,” he said. “He’s not a normal leader. And he’s not interested in normal reactions or normal relations with the rest of the world.” In Beijing, China’s foreign ministry said it disapproved of Blackburn’s visit and urged her to stop all forms of official communication with Taiwan, saying it sends the wrong message to Taiwan independence forces. China views high-level foreign visits to Taiwan as interference in its affairs and de facto recognition of Taiwan’s sovereignty. China’s recent military exercises have been seen by some as a rehearsal for future military action against the island, which US military leaders say could take place within the next few years. While hosting the drills, China has cut off contacts with the United States on vital issues, including military issues and critical climate cooperation, raising concerns about a more aggressive approach by Beijing. He also called the US ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, to formally protest. He later said China was overreacting to create a crisis. Because of the separation of powers in the US government, the executive branch has no power to prevent lawmakers from making such foreign visits, and Taiwan benefits from strong bipartisan support in Washington. China, where the Communist Party exercises absolute control over the country’s politics, refuses to recognize this fundamental principle. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said members of Congress and elected officials “have been going to Taiwan for decades and will continue to do so” and that it was in line with US policy to maintain only formal diplomatic ties with Beijing. “We will continue to take calm and decisive steps to support peace and stability in the region and support Taiwan in accordance with our long-standing policy,” Patel said at a briefing on Thursday. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told reporters on Friday that “China’s motive is to destroy the status quo of the Taiwan Straits, and after that they want to restrict Taiwan’s defense space.” Taiwan is seeking enhanced defense cooperation and additional weapons from the US, along with closer economic ties. In their meeting, Tsai and Blackburn emphasized the importance of economic ties, especially in the semiconductor sector, where Taiwan is a world leader and the US is seeking greater investment at home. Blackburn arrived in Taipei late Thursday after visiting Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea as part of a US effort to “expand our diplomatic footprint in the region,” her office said in a statement. “The Indo-Pacific region is the next frontier for the new axis of evil,” Blackburn, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, was quoted as saying. “We must stand against the Chinese Communist Party.” China is making inroads into the western Pacific, signing a broad security deal with the Solomon Islands that the US and allies such as Australia see as an attempt to upend the traditional security order in the region. Pelosi was the highest-ranking member of the US administration to visit Taiwan in 25 years. China’s response was to declare six zones surrounding the island for military exercises that included firing missiles over the island, some of which landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Following Pelosi’s trip, a delegation of members of the House and Senate visited. This week, Indiana’s governor made a visit focused on business and academic collaboration. American politicians characterized their visits as a sign of support for the island. Blackburn, whose visit will last three days, also met with Foreign Minister Wu and National Security Council Secretary General Wellington Ku, along with members of the American business community. Washington has no formal diplomatic ties to Taipei vis-à-vis China, but remains the island’s biggest guarantor of security, with US law requiring it to ensure Taiwan has the means to defend itself and consider threats to island as matters of “serious concern”. Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war and have no formal relations, but are bound by billions of dollars in trade and investment. China has increased its pressure on Taiwan since it elected pro-independence Tsai as its president. When Tsai refused to support the idea of a unified Chinese nation, China cut off contact with the Taiwanese government. US congressional visits to the island have increased in frequency over the past year.
