U.S. lawmakers arrive in Taiwan days after new president takes office

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Sunday, days after the Beijing-claimed island’s new president,Lai Ching-te,took office with a warning to China to stop its threats.

The six House members arrived after China concluded two days of “punishment” drills around the island in response to what it described as “separatist acts.”

“I think it’s very important that we show our strong support for Taiwan. I think it is a deterrent,” Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Tex., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told NBC News before their arrival.

The delegation led by McCaul is his second to the island, and also includes Reps. Young Kim, R-Calif., Joe Wilson, R-S.C., Andy Barr, R-Ky., Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.

Though lawmakers from the United States and other countries regularly travel to Taiwan, China views such visits as provocative and supportive of “‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”

As with McCaul’s first delegation to Taiwan in April 2023, Chinese officials expressed opposition to the current trip.

In an email first obtained by NBC News, a Chinese Embassy official warned McCaul against the visit and described Lai’s inauguration speech on Monday as “the worst speech ever by a Taiwan new leader.”

“It once again proved that Mr. Lai has chosen an independence course and is on his way to implement it,” the email read.

Like the majority of the Taiwanese public, Lai, 65, who was the island’s vice president for the past four years, says he favors maintaining the status quo, neither formally declaring independence nor becoming part of China.

Speaking at a meeting of his Democratic Progressive Party on Sunday, Lai thanked the U.S. and other countries for their