Amid the rising tensions with China, Indiana governor Eric Holcomb became the latest United States lawmaker to visit Taiwan. House Secretary Nancy Pelosi was the first high-ranking official from the US to visit the country in decades and a congressional delegation also met President Tsai Ing-wen during a visit last week. “I appreciate the warm welcome to Taiwan from Douglas Hsu, Taiwan Director of North American Affairs,” Holcomb tweeted on Sunday along with a photo of him and Hsu.

According to the statement released by Holcomb’s office, the Republican governor will be conducting an “economic development trip” in Taiwan and South Korea following the signing of the CHIPS Act (which allowed massive investments in the semiconductor chip manufacturing industry).
The statement further stated that Holcomb will meet with the Taiwanese President on Monday, and they will be discussing “economic, trade, technological and cultural collaborations”.
Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan caused a massive uproar in China who accused the United States of stoking tensions in the region. In retaliation to the visit, China conducted a number of military drills near the Taiwan Strait border and a number of aircrafts even breached the country’s airspace.
However, the United States have maintained that they are sticking to the “One China” policy but also made it clear that Taiwan has their support, and the two countries continue to maintain unofficial ties. According to CNN, Holcomb became the first ruling US governor to visit the country since 2019.

“The delegation will focus on strengthening Indiana’s economic and academic partnerships and reinforcing the state’s commitment to innovation, as well as committing to working together to build the economy of the future on an international scale,” his office told CNN.