U.S. House CCP committee chair-led delegation arrives in Taiwan

Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher, chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), arrived in Taiwan early Thursday for a three-day visit, during which he will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德).

Gallagher is leading a five-member congressional delegation to Taiwan that also includes fellow Republican representatives John Moolenaar and Dusty Johnson, as well as Democrats Raja Krishnamoorthi and Seth Moulton, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), announced in separate press releases.

According to MOFA, the delegates will meet with Tsai, Lai and Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) as well as join a banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) to discuss issues of mutual concerns and the latest situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The delegation's three-day visit to Taiwan is scheduled to conclude on Saturday and is part of a wider trip to the Indo-Pacific region, the AIT said.

Gallagher, a House member since 2017, has been the chair of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the CCP since its establishment in January 2023.

The committee is a bipartisan group that aims to build consensus on the threat posed by the CCP and develop strategies to help the U.S. compete with China.

In a press release issued by the committee, Gallagher was quoted as praising Taiwan's ability to "not only survive, but thrive" as it stood up to CCP bullying.

"We are thrilled to be in Taipei to show our support for our friends in Taiwan, President-elect Lai and the newly elected Legislative Yuan. The United States stands with Taiwan. By promoting deeper ties between our leaders and our economies we can enhance peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," he added.

Gallagher last visited Taiwan in early 2023 on a previously unannounced trip.

The representative from Wisconsin announced last Saturday that he would not be seeking re-election, saying in a statement that the authors of the U.S. Constitution had not intended for elected office to be a lifetime appointment.

Before beginning his political career, Gallagher spent seven years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, including two deployments to Iraq.