NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska responded to Chinese threats Friday after a congressional visit to Taiwan.
Sasse was one of six lawmakers who flew on a diplomatic visit to the Republic of China, often called Taiwan. Sasse was in a group with Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rob Portman of Ohio, Texas Republican Ronnie Jackson and New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez. After the Chinese government warned the United States that their actions were “dangerous,” Sasse responded.
“The CCP cannot harass the American people or their representatives in the United States Congress,” Sasse wrote. “His chairman must remember two things: first, Congress plays a fundamental role in interpreting the Taiwan Relations Act; second, the American people do not like tyrants and instead instinctively support the freedom-loving people of Taiwan.
CHINA ACCUSES US TAIWAN OFFICIALS OF “PLAYING WITH FIRE” COMPARED TO UKRAINE
“As President Tsai Ying-wen and I discussed today, the whole world knows that His President has approved and allowed Vladimir Putin’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” Sasse added. “He likes to talk about territorial sovereignty, but the whole world has clearly seen his immoral and foolish decision to side with Putin as he targets civilians in an independent neighborhood.
In this photo, published by the Office of the President of Taiwan, members of a delegation from the US Congress, left, Representative Ronnie Jackson, R-Texas; Senator Ben Sasse, R-Neb .; Senator Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Senator Richard Burr, RN.C .; Sen. Bob Menendez, DN.J .; and Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., pose for a photo with Taiwanese President Tsai Ying-wen, center right, and other Taiwanese officials during a meeting at the President’s Office in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, April 15, 2022 (Presidential Taiwan office via AP)
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers flew to Taiwan for an official visit on Thursday, rejecting threats from Chinese government.
Lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate landed in the country on Wednesday morning for a warm welcome from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The Chinese government soon issued a statement condemning the visit.
“As the world sees more clearly who Putin and Xi are, they are uniting more enthusiastically on the side of Ukraine and Taiwan,” Sasse said in a statement Friday.
Sensors Lindsey Graham, Bob Menendez, Richard Burr, Rob Portman and Ben Sasse and Representative Ronnie Jackson were greeted on their arrival in Taiwan on Thursday, April 14, 2022 (Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
China on Thursday he accused US and Taiwanese officials of “playing with fire” after comparisons between Ukraine-Russia war against Beijing and Taipei.
Mainland China claims that Taiwan is a fraudulent region of China, not an independent country. The United States has been reluctant to use the name for decades, even as it sends military aid and occasional visits from US officials in support of Taiwan.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
“There is a new wave of tension in the Taiwan Strait,” Chinese spokesman Wang Webin told reporters. “The main reason is that the Taiwanese authorities continue to push for the independence agenda, asking for your support, and that some in the United States are trying to use Taiwan to take over China.
In this photo from January 19, 2021, Senator Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker / The New York Times via AP, Pool File)
“They are in secret agreements with each other,” he added.
Concerns that China may invade Taiwan have increased in recent years, thanks to China’s growing aggression in the region, including frequent air force flights near Taiwan’s airspace.
Fox News’ s Anders Hagström contributed to this report.
Add Comment