Cornyn Calls for Congress to Support Taiwan After Leading Delegation to Southeast Asia

Recently on the floor, I discussed the congressional delegation (CODEL) I led to Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) countries, including Taiwan, and the need for Congress to help combat China’s overreach in the region by passing the National Defense Authorization Act. Excerpts of my remarks are below, and video can be found here.

“Last week I had the chance to lead a congressional delegation visiting southeast Asia to gain a better understanding of the threats and challenges in the region.”

“Here at home, there is no question that China is a looming presence, but it's not in our backyard. We don't see its warships on our coastlines or worry about an imminent military invasion on our shores. But that's not the case in the Indo-Pacific.”

“Despite the fact that Taiwan has been a self-governing entity for more than 70 years, the Chinese Communist Party continues to claim the island nation as part of its territory. But as the Indian Minister for Foreign Affairs said, Taiwan isn't just a Taiwan problem, it's a China problem. In other words, what's at stake here is much larger than the future of one nation.”

“If China is able to capture Taiwan, there's no reason to believe that the Chinese Communist Party would stop there. China also has territorial claims against the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, and India.”

“We shouldn't view Taiwan as the CCP's ultimate goal but as the first domino in a quest to reach regional and global dominance. If Taiwan falls, it will not be the end, but rather a beginning.”

“As the Senate prepares to begin consideration of the defense authorization bill, I would encourage all of us to keep in mind our solemn responsibility to support our national defense. That's our number one priority. All of our other freedoms flow from our ability to protect and defend the American people. Whether our service members are guarding against threats from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, or terrorist groups, they need the backing of a strong National Defense Authorization Act to succeed.”