Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
Your guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the world
A top Republican lawmaker will lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan in August, a development that will be welcomed in Taipei amid concerns about Donald Trump’s commitment to the country in the face of Chinese pressure.
The visit by Roger Wicker, according to three people familiar with the trip, comes at a delicate point in US-Taiwan relations. The Republican chair of the Senate armed services committee is one of Taiwan’s biggest allies in Congress.
There is rising concern in Washington and Taipei that the US president may be less willing to help Taiwan as he pushes for a summit with China’s President Xi Jinping. Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan and has not ruled out using force to take the country.
The White House recently triggered alarm in Taipei by denying permission for Lai Ching-te, the Taiwanese president, to visit New York en route to Central America. The Chinese embassy in the US earlier this month told the Trump administration that Beijing opposed a New York transit for Lai.
The US also cancelled a visit by Taiwan’s defence minister to the Washington area in June, partly over fears that China would object.
Taiwanese officials are particularly worried that Trump might issue a statement saying the US opposes Taiwan’s independence — something that Beijing has urged the Trump administration to do.
Previous US administrations have said the US does not support Taiwanese independence. Under the US “one-China” policy, Washington recognises Beijing as the seat of power in China while acknowledging — without accepting — the Chinese claim that it has sovereignty over Taiwan.
Lai cancelled his trip to Central America after the US denied permission to visit New York. People familiar with his thinking said he was frustrated that he was not afforded the same treatment as former president Tsai Ing-wen, who visited New York in 2023 during the Biden administration.
“At a time when China is putting increasing pressure on Taiwan, US congressional visits to Taiwan serve to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to Taiwan’s democracy, prosperity and security,” said Bonnie Glaser, a Taiwan expert at the German Marshall Fund.
“They also send a deterrence signal to China, foster closer economic and trade ties, and counter the narrative propagated by Beijing and some in Taiwan that the US is an unreliable partner.”
Mark Montgomery, a retired admiral at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think-tank, said it “would be fantastic” if Wicker visited Taiwan because he has championed measures to help it bolster deterrence against China.
Taipei is concerned that Trump will sacrifice its interests to placate Beijing as he tries to secure a summit with Xi in the autumn and as US and Chinese negotiators continue talks to reach a trade deal.
Officials in Taiwan are also nervous because Taipei has failed to secure a trade deal with Washington. Meanwhile, Elbridge Colby, the third-ranking Pentagon official, is pushing the country to boost defence spending.
The commerce department has been told to freeze new export controls on China to reduce the odds of US policy derailing a summit with Xi. That has triggered alarm in Taiwan and other countries which think Trump may reverse the approach towards allies taken by his predecessor.
“Given the Trump administration’s recent concessions to China, many in Taipei will look to the Congress for reassurance that Taiwan still matters to the US,” said Zack Cooper, an Asia expert at the American Enterprise Institute.
Cooper said the visit would also help improve communication between the US and Taiwan at a time that the Trump administration was “asking Taiwan to invest in certain types of capabilities to better defend itself”.
Wicker’s office declined to comment.
