Overview

• Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker and Senator Deb Fischer arrived in Taipei on Friday for a two-day visit and met President Lai Ching-te and senior officials.
• Wicker said the delegation came to “re-emphasize the partnership,” calling Taiwan a “free country” with a “right to remain free,” and pledged to better understand Taipei’s defense needs.
• China’s Foreign Ministry condemned the trip as undermining its sovereignty and opposed what it calls official exchanges between Washington and Taipei.
• The visit follows Taiwan’s proposal to raise its 2026 defense budget above 3% of GDP, with a pledge to reach 5% by 2030, and discussions on deeper military and defense-industrial cooperation.
• The Taiwan stop is part of a wider Asia-Pacific tour that included Hawaii, Guam, Tinian, Palau and the Philippines, and it comes as lawmakers voice concern that trade talks with China could dilute U.S. security focus, with Wicker pointing to upcoming NDAA provisions for Taiwan.