Another congressional delegation from the United States is visiting Taiwan as tensions with China remain high.
The eight-member bipartisan delegation, led by Florida Democrat Stephanie Murphy, one of the lawmakers behind a bill allowing the US to lend weapons to support Taiwan, is scheduled to meet Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday, 8 September, AP reported.
The other members of the delegation are Hawaii Democrat Kaiali'i Kahele and Republicans Scott Franklin from Florida, Joe Wilson from South Carolina, Andy Barr from Kentucky, Darrell Issa from California, Claudia Tenney from New York, and Kat Cammack from Florida.
The Biden administration had approved a $1 billion arms sale to Taiwan last week.
Nancy Pelosi Visited Taiwan in August
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had visited Taiwan in early August, sparking a row.
Pelosi's visit had triggered an angry reaction from China, as it saw her visit as a "serious violation" of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three joint communiques signed between Washington and Beijing.
China had sanctioned the US House Speaker over her visit.
In light of this, China also stepped up its military harassment of Taiwan by sending warships, drones, and warplanes towards the island daily. It reportedly fired several DF-15B ballistic missiles into the seas around Taiwan as part of a large-scale military exercise.
The Chinese government had also halted exports of natural sand to Taiwan and announced that China will suspend the entry of citrus fruits and fish products from Taiwan.
A little over a week after Pelosi's visit, another delegation of US lawmakers landed in Taiwan. The team was led by Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey.
(With inputs from Indian Express, CNN.)
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