Capitol Hill rolled out the welcome mat Wednesday for Han Kuo-yu, president of Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, with a bipartisan crowd of more than 30 House members packing into the Longworth House Office Building for a reception that blended politics, trade and security. The visit unfolded as Washington weighs a high-stakes arms package for Taipei, and Han’s cross-party tour linked meetings on semiconductor manufacturing directly to the island’s defense needs.
Capitol Hill Reception
More than 30 members of the House streamed into the Longworth reception, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Michael McCaul, according to AP. McCaul greeted Han with an enthusiastic "I love Taiwan," while Pelosi described congressional backing as "bipartisan and bicameral," the outlet reported. Behind the handshakes and photo ops, lawmakers used the event to lean on the administration over security assistance for Taipei and to signal that Congress is in no mood to let the issue quietly stall.
Arms Package In Limbo
The centerpiece of those concerns is a $14 billion arms sales package that remains under review by the administration after President Trump’s trip to Beijing, raising alarms among supporters of Taiwan’s defense, The Washington Post reported. Congress granted preliminary approval months ago, but officials say the White House is weighing broader diplomatic considerations in the region. Members at the reception pressed the administration to move faster on delivering weapons they argue Taiwan needs to maintain deterrence.
TSMC And Trade Ties
Han arrived in Washington after a stop in Phoenix to visit Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s Arizona campus and is leading an eight-person parliamentary delegation, according to Focus Taiwan. The detour to the desert underscored how Taiwan’s chip industry, and TSMC in particular, sits at the heart of U.S. technology supply chains and draws sustained attention from top lawmakers. Senators also met with the delegation, although officials kept the substance of those closed-door conversations under wraps.
What Han Asked For
Inside the reception, Han thanked the United States for its support, saying Taiwan cherishes freedom and democracy and asking lawmakers to help the island "participate in global activities," according to AP. The coverage noted that only about a dozen governments still maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, while Beijing has kept the island out of institutions such as the World Health Organization. Lawmakers at the event linked those diplomatic constraints to what they framed as a strategic case for deepening U.S. cooperation with Taipei.
Route Home And The Signal
The delegation is scheduled to head home Friday aboard EVA Air’s inaugural nonstop between Washington Dulles and Taipei Taoyuan, a route the carrier announced will begin June 26, according to EVA Air. The new direct link shortens travel time for official and business exchanges and doubles as a practical signal of tightening ties between the two capitals. Whether Han’s swing through Washington will alter the administration’s posture on the pending arms sale is still an open question, but the crowded, bipartisan reception made one thing clear: Congress is ready to keep pushing for robust support of Taiwan.
