The trip by Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, follows a series of recent visits by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other US officials.
“Taiwan is our strongest partner in the Indo-Pacific region. Regular high-level visits to Taipei are longstanding US policy,” Blackburn said in a statement Thursday.
The visit by Pelosi, who earlier this month became the highest-ranking US official to land on the island in 25 years, was cited by Beijing as the trigger for several days of large-scale military exercises in which China fired missiles over Taiwan and Taiwan. he flew waves of warplanes into his air defense identification zone.
China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan is part of its territory, despite never having ruled it, and has refused to rule out using force to control it.
The US does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is required by law to provide the island with defensive weapons and has remained intentionally ambiguous about whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.
In tweets Friday morning, the US senator, who does not represent the Biden administration, reiterated her support for Taiwan.
“I will never bow to the Chinese Communist Party,” he said in one. “I will continue with the (Taiwanese) people and their right to freedom and democracy. Xi Jinping does not scare me,” he later added, referring to China’s leader.
In a meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday morning, Blackburn emphasized the values of democracy and freedom, which she said Washington shares with Taiwan.
“Indeed, it is important for freedom-loving nations to support Taiwan as it seeks to support preserving its independence and freedom,” Blackburn said.
Tsai said recent visits by American public figures “have strengthened Taiwan’s determination to defend itself.”
“We look forward to continuing to help and support Taiwan as they move forward as an independent nation,” Blackburn said.
Under the long-standing “One China” policy, the US recognizes Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized the Communist Party’s claim to the self-ruled island of 23 million.
The US senator will also meet with National Security Council Secretary General Wellington Koo and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu during her three-day visit, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said .
China had no immediate comment on Blackburn’s visit, but has made its anger clear since Pelosi’s visit with military exercises and statements saying the actions of US politicians and government policies threaten the ‘status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
China’s Foreign Ministry condemned Pelosi for what it described as her “vicious and provocative actions,” saying her trip to Taiwan amounted to “serious interference in China’s internal affairs.”
“U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan regardless of China’s serious concerns and firm opposition, seriously interfering in China’s internal affairs, seriously undermining China’s sovereignty and integrity of China’s territory, seriously trampling on the one-China principle and seriously threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait,” the ministry said.
Gladys Tsai in Taipei and Alex Stambaugh in Hong Kong contributed to this report.