US Congress Affirms Security Support for Taiwan 

Pamir assesses that China's immediate reactions to US Congressional support for Taiwan, the latest US arms sales package, and an ongoing US-Japan military exercise directed against a potential “China threat” suggest greater concern for growing US-Taiwan security cooperation than with what has become routine US-Japan military coordination. 

On 22 February a bipartisan delegation led by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the US and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), arrived in Taipei for a three-day visit. The delegation met with President TSAI Ing-wen, President-elect William Lai, and Vice President-elect HSIAO Bi-khim, as well as other senior Taiwan officials. 

• Congressman Gallagher said the purpose of the visit was to demonstrate US support for Taiwan in defending freedom against authoritarianism. 
• The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, in response to a question about the congressional delegation’s visit, said, “China opposes any form of official interaction between the US and Taiwan authorities and rejects US interference in Taiwan affairs in whatever form or under whatever pretext.” 

Delegation members and Taiwan officials also discussed US military aid to Taiwan. Gallagher said that Congress will work on the issue of undelivered US arms to Taiwan worth $20 billion. The delegation landed in Taiwan one day after the US approved a $75 million arms package to Taiwan, marking the Biden administration’s 13^th arms sale to Taiwan. 

• This latest sale involves upgrading the data link system for the Taiwan military’s C4ISR architecture and improving its military interoperability. Taiwan media added that approximately 200 US government personnel and 200 US contractor representatives will travel to Taiwan for engineering and technical support.
• Taiwan’s presidential office expressed gratitude for the sale and said it illustrated US commitment to Taiwan’s security. 
• The Chinese Foreign Ministry protested that the latest US arms sale violated China’s sovereignty and the three US-China joint communiqués. 

Taiwan’s military reported that there was no surge in Chinese military activities around Taiwan during the congressional visit. There also has been no report of Chinese response to the 18^th iteration of the annual US-Japan “Iron Fist” military exercise, which was announced on 26 February and will conclude on 17 March. 

• Iron Fist, which is being conducted in the southwestern Japanese prefectures of Kagoshima and Okinawa, simulates retaking islands during a “Taiwan emergency.”