The president of Taiwan’s parliament, You Si-kun, visited the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. His position is the equivalent of the U.S. House Speaker.
You was set meet with members of the House Committee on Competition with China in an effort to bolster economic and security ties with the U.S.
The Committee’s chairman, Mike Gallagher, said that the U.S. should “arm Taiwan to the teeth” to counter China’s aggression in the region.
Worth noting, You was also spotted entering House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s office, though McCarthy claimed that the two didn’t meet up.
In a speech at the Hudson Institute, You said that the Chinese Communist Party “wants to see the East rise and the West decline” suggesting that the regime sees Taiwan as the “stepping stone” to global dominance.
He also urged the West to step in to help ensure the island’s safety.
The trip comes as the Biden Administration plans a $500 million arms package for Taiwan.
Despite never having ruled Taiwan, the Chinese Communist Party sees the island as part of its own territory.
The regime vehemently opposes any diplomatic ties between the West and Taiwan.
In April, China staged military drills in the Taiwan Strait in a way to retaliate against Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen for meeting with U.S. House Speaker McCarthy in California.