"US Congressional Delegation's Firm Support for Taiwan Draws Beijing's Scrutiny"
US congressional visits to Taiwan are viewed differently in Washington and Beijing, with China seeing them as a provocation and interference in its internal affairs, while Taiwan sees them as a show of support for its distinct identity and democratic values. These visits, actively encouraged by Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, serve as a low-cost way for the US to reassure Taiwan and increase confidence in the US-Taiwan relationship. However, they also provoke Beijing, as seen in its response to Nancy Pelosi's visit in 2022. The visits symbolize solidarity with a fellow democracy and are a way for US politicians to demonstrate their anti-China credentials to voters, but the substantive aspects of US-Taiwan relations, such as high-level exchanges on intelligence and defense, remain largely unpublicized.