President Lai has phone call with U.S. House Speaker Johnson

Guam, Dec. 5 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) had a telephone call with United States House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson during his stopover in Guam, as part of a weeklong South Pacific tour, according to Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧).

The call, which reportedly took place on Thursday morning (Hagatna time), marked the first time Lai had spoken directly with Johnson of the Republican Party since taking office in May.

Kuo said in addition to speaking with the House speaker, Lai also had a call with Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and a video conference with Republican Senator Roger Wicker while in Guam.

During their conversations, the Congressmen emphasized their support across party lines for helping Taiwan preserve its democracy and freedom, and for continuing to strengthen relations between the U.S. and Taiwan, Kuo said.

According to the spokesperson, Johnson said that the U.S. Congress continues to pass bills to strengthen the U.S. response to China and its capacity to help Taiwan enhance its defense capabilities.

The speaker also mentioned Congress' wariness of challenges and threats posed by China and its recognition of Taiwan as being at the core of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, Kuo said.

Lai, for his part, told Wicker during the talk that Taiwan would not cower in the face of increasing threats and that his government was committed to boosting Taiwan's defense capabilities and economic resilience, according to Kuo.

The president expressed hope that both sides would further collaborate on the field of national defense, she said.

Kuo also cited Wicker as saying that he was pleased to see Taiwan's commitment to self-defense and that he would continue to support Taiwan's security after taking up the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Armed Services next year.

Wicker is currently the ranking member of the committee.

Lai arrived in Guam on Wednesday evening, after wrapping up a short visit to Taiwan's Pacific ally Tuvalu.

On Thursday morning, Lai visited the Legislature of Guam, making him the first Republic of China (Taiwan) president to visit the lawmaking body of the unincorporated U.S. territory, according to a Presidential Office source.

"Today, we gather to honor the enduring relationship between Guam and Taiwan built on decades of partnership and shared values," Guam's Legislative Speaker Therese M. Terlaje said before presenting a copy of a resolution to Lai.

The resolution, passed by the legislature, was intended for "welcoming President Lai Ching-te" and "extending appreciation for Taiwan's significant contributions to Guam's economy and community."

"[The] deep cultural, educational, health and economic connections... have greatly benefited our islands," Terlaje added.

Meanwhile, Lai described Taiwan and Guam as "family members to each other" in his remarks and highlighted the deep cultural connections between the two sides and their shared values of democracy, freedom and human rights.

"Moving forward, let us continue to work together to deepen cooperation between Taiwan and Guam," jointly becoming a crucial force in defending freedom and democracy in the Indo-Pacific, he said.

Lai, accompanied by Presidential Office and Cabinet officials, headed to Palau -- the final destination of the South Pacific tour that has included stops in the U.S. state of Hawaii and the Marshall Islands -- on Thursday afternoon.

He will conclude his first overseas trip as president on Friday.

While stopping over in Hawaii on Dec. 1, the president also had a 20-minute phone call with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who visited Taiwan in 2022 when she was still speaker.