U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley visits Taiwan

Taipei, Nov. 25 (CNA) U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley is visiting Taiwan until Wednesday to meet with senior Taiwanese officials, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said Monday.

The ongoing Taiwan trip is part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region, during which the Democratic Party senator will meet senior Taiwan leaders and other counterparts "to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security, trade and investment, and other significant issues of mutual interest," the AIT said in a news release.

Merkley is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, according to the AIT, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of official ties.

He has led the U.S. Congress' efforts to strengthen partnerships across the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, the AIT said.

The AIT added that Merkley, who arrived in Taiwan on Monday, has also authored landmark legislation to strengthen U.S. policy across the region, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act.