Growing US Republican Taiwan focus may provoke Beijing

Significance

Separately, five Republican senators, led by Florida's Marco Rubio, wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on February 7, requesting she invite Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen to address a joint Congress session.

Impacts

• The proposed US-Taiwan free trade agreement is presently unlikely to advance.
• The Trump administration might be more willing than others to defend Taiwan, but relations with China will take priorty.
• Taiwan is exporting its political divisions to the United States; the main opposition Kuomintang will open a Washington office this year.