US sends delegation to Taiwan amid fears of "invasion"

RT - US President Joe Biden sent a group of former military and national security figures to Taiwan on Monday (28), where they will meet with officials, including President Tsai Ing-wen. The trip comes amid concerns in the US that Beijing could be tempted to invade the island, having noted the US reluctance to send troops to Ukraine.

The visit was initially reported by Reuters and confirmed shortly afterward by Taiwanese diplomats. The Taiwanese embassy in the US said the trip is "a sign that relations between Taipei and Washington remain 'solid'!"

Led by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, the delegation includes Meghan O'Sullivan, former deputy national security advisor in the George W. Bush administration, and Michele Flournoy, former under secretary of defense under Barack Obama. Former National Security Council officials Mike Green and Evan Medeiros also traveled with the group.

The team is expected to arrive in Taipei on Tuesday and meet with President Tsai on Wednesday.

A similar trip took place under Biden's direction last April, when a group of former lawmakers and diplomats traveled to Taiwan to assure Taipei that Washington would support the island nation's defense. While the government in Beijing insists that Taiwan belongs to China, the U.S. has unofficially supported Taiwan's independence, supplying weapons to Taipei even while acknowledging China's claim to the island.

The U.S. is not a party to any binding security treaty with Taiwan and has never committed to defending the island by force. This non-committal stance, coupled with the U.S. refusal to send troops to Ukraine in response to Russia's military offensive last week, has led to speculation in the American media that Beijing may be considering "an invasion."

In an interview last week, former President Donald Trump stated that China would "absolutely" attack Taiwan during Biden's presidency.

Although there are no signs that such a measure is underway, Taiwan accused the Chinese military of probing its air defense zone with jets last week.

Speaking to Reuters, an unnamed U.S. official declined to link the delegation's trip to any greater threat, saying it represented Biden's "broader commitment to Taiwan."