Taiwan's President Chats with U. S. Leaders During Pacific Tour

Taiwan's President Ching-te Lai made a few calls while on a tour of the Pacific region. He was in Guam, his second stop after Hawaii and a couple of other islands. The calls were with some big shots in the U. S. Congress, including the leaders from both sides of the aisle – House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. There was also a video call with a senator named Roger Wicker, who's quite important in the Senate's armed forces committee. Now, China doesn't like when Taiwan talks to the U. S. They see Taiwan as part of their territory, and any interaction between the two is a no-no in their books. Yet, the U. S. is Taiwan's top supplier of defense weapons and has military bases in Guam. President Lai arrived in Guam on Wednesday and was headed to Palau next. He met with Guam's governor and their legislature, where he talked about how Taiwan and Guam share important values and are strategically super important in the Indo-Pacific region. He even said they should together become a powerful force in defending freedom and democracy in the area. This was a clear contrast to China's one-party, authoritarian government, which claims Taiwan will eventually become theirs. China's foreign ministry wasn't happy about the calls. They reminded everyone that the Taiwan issue is a huge deal for them and that the U. S. should back off. They even put sanctions on some U. S. companies and leaders in response to recent weapon sales to Taiwan. Lai's talks showed that there's strong support for Taiwan in the U. S. Congress, no matter which party you're talking about. And Guam's legislature also welcomed him and appreciated Taiwan's contributions to their economy. Lai suggested some areas where Guam and Taiwan could work together more, like farming, building stuff, and alternative energy. The Pacific islands he visited – Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau – are among the few that officially recognize Taiwan. Most other countries, including the U. S. , recognize the Chinese government in Beijing instead.