[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The special committee established by the U.S. House of Representatives to check China is considering a trip to Taiwan. As the U.S. has shot down Chinese reconnaissance balloons that repeatedly violated its airspace, tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated, and there are concerns that this trip to Taiwan could further worsen the situation. With the 2024 presidential election approaching, the Republican Party is expected to push ahead with this Taiwan visit to frame the Biden administration’s China policy as a failure.
According to Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 14th, the U.S. House of Representatives' "Special Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (U.S.-China Strategic Competition Special Committee)" is discussing sending a delegation to Taiwan. Republican Representative Robert Wittman, a member of the U.S.-China Strategic Competition Special Committee, told Nikkei, "We know this visit could provoke China," but added, "It is important to send a strong signal that we firmly support Taiwan’s independence."
The schedule for the delegation’s visit to Taiwan is still under discussion, but Wittman added that an on-site hearing could be held during the visit. Nikkei reported that the delegation is likely to be bipartisan and that visits to other Southeast Asian countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan are also being considered.
The U.S.-China Strategic Competition Special Committee is a special committee responsible for investigating U.S.-China competition in economic, technological, and security fields. It was established last month under the leadership of Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and will begin full-scale activities at the end of this month. Most of the participating members, including Chairman Mike Gallagher and Representatives Blaine Luetkemeyer, Andy Barr, Dan Newhouse, and Jim Banks, are classified as hardliners on China. Although the committee does not have legislative review authority, it was formed to conduct in-depth examinations of China in economic, technological, and security areas and to provide policy advice to various committees such as the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee.
Separately from the U.S.-China Strategic Competition Special Committee delegation, a U.S. House delegation led by Republican House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul is also reportedly considering visiting Taiwan this spring. In particular, there have been successive reports that Speaker McCarthy will visit Taiwan in April. If Speaker McCarthy visits Taiwan, he will be the third sitting U.S. House Speaker to do so, following Newt Gingrich in 1997 and Nancy Pelosi last year.
The news of this Taiwan trip consideration comes amid heightened concerns that the U.S.-China conflict, triggered by the reconnaissance balloon incident, could unexpectedly escalate into physical confrontation at any time. When Pelosi visited Taiwan in August last year, China strongly retaliated by conducting large-scale live-fire exercises surrounding the island and repeatedly sending military aircraft into the median line of the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). As the rift between the two countries deepens, it is expected that China will respond sensitively to U.S. congressional members’ visit to Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Nikkei reported that the consideration of this Taiwan trip is closely related to the Republican Party’s stance, which has criticized President Biden for being indecisive on China issues. Since the Republicans have made the framing of Biden’s China policy failure a major issue for the upcoming presidential election, they are expected to use this Taiwan visit to appeal a tough stance toward China.
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