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China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own
territory despite the Taipei government's strong objections, has
been carrying out war games and drills near Taiwan since U.S.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a two-day visit to Taipei
earlier this month.
Last week a second group of U.S. lawmakers visited Taiwan.
Governor Eric Holcomb tweeted that he would also be visiting
South Korea, while Taiwan's presidential office said he would
meet President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday morning.
"I'm energised to spend this week building new relationships,
reinforcing long time ones and strengthening key sector
partnerships with Taiwan and South Korea," Holcomb tweeted.
He termed his visit to Taiwan and South Korea an "economic
development trip", saying he was the first U.S. governor to come
to Taiwan since the COVID-19 pandemic began more than two years
ago.
"Our delegation will spend this week meeting with government
officials, business leaders and academic institutions to further
strengthen Indiana's economic, academic and cultural connections
with Taiwan and South Korea," Holcomb tweeted.
There was no immediate response from China to his arrival.
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said Holcomb would also meet
representatives from Taiwanese semiconductor companies, although
it gave no details, and would sign various trade and technology
memorandums of understanding.
Taiwan is home to the world's largest contact chip maker, Taiwan
Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), which is building a
$12 billion plant in the U.S. state of Arizona.
China says Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in
its relations with Washington, and that it considers anything to
do with the island an internal issue.
Taiwan's government says that as the People's Republic of China
has never ruled the island it has no right to claim it, and that
only Taiwan's 23 million people can decide their future.
China's military drills have been continuing around Taiwan,
though on a smaller scale than the war games conducted
immediately after the trip by Pelosi, the highest level U.S.
official to visit in decades.
(Reporting by Ben BlanchardEditing by David Clarke, Toby Chopra
and Frances Kerry)
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