US Senator Lands in Taiwan for a Surprise Visit

According to a report on August 25th, Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee landed in Taiwan for an unannounced visit on Thursday, according to a source familiar with the trip.

Blackburn is only the latest in a series of US lawmakers to fly to Taiwan, a trend that has angered the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in early August, making her the highest-ranking US official to do so since Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1997.

The Pentagon declined to comment on Blackburn’s trip, stating that it does not comment on security details. A Pentagon spokesman said that they will take all appropriate measures to ensure the safety of Members of Congress wherever and whenever they choose to travel.

Mainland China has long claimed Taiwan as its own territory, arguing that the trips violate its sovereignty.

No other lawmakers accompanied Blackburn on the visit. The senator was already on her way home from a foreign trip visiting Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea this week, according to a statement from the senator’s office Thursday morning.

Blackburn said in a statement that did not mention her visit to Taiwan that “the Indo-Pacific region is the next frontier for the New Axis of Evil”, and “meeting with leaders from Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea was an important step in showcasing America’s commitment to the region and expanding our strategic relationships”.

She added that continuing these long-established partnerships is important to the success of both the East Asian nations and the United States, she is grateful for their leadership, and the US must stand against the Chinese regime.

Blackburn’s visit is the latest since five members of Congress landed in Taiwan in mid-August.