The visits come amid heightened tensions over self-governed Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory.
The Republican governor of the US state of Virginia has met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, as Republican hopefuls for the 2024 United States presidential race look to bolster their campaigns with international tours.
Glenn Youngkin, a former hedge fund manager who won a surprise victory in Virginia’s governor’s race, met Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Tuesday as part of a trade mission, their offices said.
Taiwan is “an important partner and a model of prosperity for countries around the world,” Youngkin said when announcing the establishment of a Taiwan-Virginia economic development agency.
Tsai said she was happy to host friends from the US, adding that Taipei has always had strong ties with the state of Virginia.
“Governor Youngkin’s choice of Taiwan as the destination for his first overseas trip since taking office is particularly significant,” she said.
The governor, a rising Republican star and considered a possible contender for the 2024 nomination — though he has yet to announce his candidacy — will also visit South Korea and Japan.
Florida governor and potential rival Ron DeSantis, who is also on an international tour, is already in Tokyo and met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday. The Republican Party’s early frontrunner is former President Donald Trump, who ran for office last November.
DeSantis hailed Japan as a “great ally” of the US, welcoming a $315 billion five-year military expansion Japan launched last year in the face of an increasingly powerful China and as North Korea ramps up its missile launches.
“We greatly applaud your efforts to strengthen your defenses. We understand it’s a tough neighborhood here… and we really believe that a strong Japan is good for America, and a strong America is good for Japan,” said DeSantis, who will also travel to South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom .
The visits come amid heightened tensions in the region over democratic Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own and refuses to rule out the use of force to achieve its aims.
China staged days of war games after US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, also a Republican, met with Tsai in California earlier this month.
Beijing claims Tsai is a “separatist” who wants independence.
She says it is up to the people of Taiwan to determine their future.
The US has formal relations with Beijing, but is Taiwan’s main international supporter.