TAIPEI (Reuters) – A delegation of Taiwanese lawmakers led by the parliament speaker will attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president, the presidential office said on Wednesday, adding that the government would continue to strengthen ties with the new administration.
Taiwan, which China considers its territory, enjoyed strong support from the first Trump administration, including regulating arms sales that continued under President Joe Biden, but Trump upset Taiwan during the campaign by calling for it to pay to defend itself.
Taiwan’s presidential office said Parliament Speaker Han Kuo-yu, a senior member of the opposition Kuomintang party who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020, would lead the group at the inauguration, accompanied by a cross-party delegation of seven other lawmakers.
Departing on Saturday for Monday’s ceremony, the group will meet with US dignitaries, think tanks and academics, Taiwan’s presidential office said, without giving details.
“Taiwan-US relations have a long history, and the two sides have made significant progress in recent years,” the statement said.
“The government especially congratulates President Trump on his inauguration and will continue to strengthen Taiwan-US relations in the future based on the existing good mutual trust and interaction.”
The Kuomintang and the small Taiwan People’s Party together hold the majority of seats in parliament. The Kuomintang has traditionally supported close ties and dialogue with China, but denies being pro-Beijing.
China has yet to announce who it will send to the inauguration.
The United States, like most countries, has no formal ties to Taiwan, but is required by law to provide the island with means for self-defense.
Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects Beijing’s claims of sovereignty, saying only the people of the island can decide their future.
China refuses to talk to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, saying he is a “separatist”.
