U.S. members of Congress express solidarity with Taiwan

Washington, April 4 (CNA) Four members of the United States Congress who co-chair the Congressional Taiwan Caucus showed solidarity with Taiwan on Thursday, one day after the country was hit by its strongest earthquake in 25 years.

In a joint statement issued Thursday, Democratic representatives Ami Bera and Gerry Connolly and Republican representatives Mario Díaz-Balart and Andy Barr offered their sympathy for those affected by the earthquake and praised the Taiwanese people for their resilience.

"Our thoughts are with the people of Taiwan who have lost loved ones and are affected by the recent earthquake," they said, highlighting the efforts of local authorities, emergency services, and civilians in response to the earthquake.

"The people of Taiwan are strong and have repeatedly proven their resilience amidst difficulty. As rescue and recovery efforts continue, we stand with Taiwan and extend our full support to our steadfast partner in the region," the letter said.

With 229 members, the Congressional Taiwan Caucus is the largest congressional member organization in the U.S. Congress.

A three-day trip to Taiwan in late January by Bera and Díaz-Balart marked the first time the caucus co-chairs visited Taiwan together in recent years, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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