Media reports suggest US Senator Roger Wicker may travel to Taiwan following President William Lai Ching-te’s cancellation of a trip to Latin America.
The Financial Times reported that Senator Roger Wicker from Mississippi, who chairs the influential Senate Armed Services Committee, is one of Taiwan’s strongest allies in Congress and is reportedly arranging a visit to Taiwan in August.
Wicker’s office, as well as the American Institute in Taiwan—effectively Washington’s embassy in Taipei—have not responded to requests for comment regarding the proposed trip.
While US legislators often visit Taiwan, a country considered an unofficial ally of Washington, the timing of Wicker’s trip coincides with uncertain relations between the US and Taiwan.
Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te was reportedly planning to travel to the US en route to a meeting with allies in Latin America, but he called off his travel plans after President Trump declined to allow a stopover in New York, according to the Financial Times.
The president’s office in Taiwan did not formally announce the trip, but they stated that President Lai has no plans to travel abroad as he focuses on typhoon relief efforts in southern Taiwan and tariff negotiations with the US.
This development comes at a time when President Lai cancelled his visit following President Trump’s declaration that he would like to visit China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. This visit aims to finalize a tariff agreement between Beijing and Washington.
China, which is led by President Xi Jinping, has pledged to reunify with Taiwan peacefully or through force. The Chinese government considers President Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to be “separatists” and objects to any official Taiwanese visits to the US.
Analysts believe that Wicker’s trip could have been arranged months ago. Still, it could serve as an opportunity for US lawmakers to reassure Taiwan that the White House has not lost interest in protecting the island.
“Many will likely be looking for affirmations and commitments to the US-Taiwan relationship, which used to be routine but now seem desperately needed to comfort both the DPP and Taiwanese citizens who have become increasingly skeptical of the United States,” said Lev Nachman, a political scientist at National Taiwan University in Taipei.
Despite the fact that the US is Taiwan’s security guarantor, providing Taipei with the means to defend itself, there is growing skepticism in Taiwan regarding the reliability of the US, which has been exacerbated by President Trump’s stance on Taiwan’s defense costs and threats of a 32 percent tariff on Taiwanese exports.
A survey of 1,500 Taiwanese voters conducted in April by Nachman and others found that only 23.1 percent of participants viewed the US as either a “trustworthy or very trustworthy” partner, compared to 33.6 percent in June 2024 when President Joe Biden was still in office.
“The policy decisions of the Trump administration are affecting public opinion in Taiwan and South Korea. The attitudes towards the United States in both countries have become more negative over a few months. However, the United States remains the most important partner for Taiwan and South Korea,” the survey concluded.
