Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said that she intentionally used the term “Republic of Taiwan” in a recent tweet to show her support for the Taiwanese people.
Taiwan visit: Mace, along with four other U.S. representatives and 17 congressional staff members, visited Taiwan last week to meet with Taiwanese government officials, including President Tsai Ing-wen, defying the wishes of the Chinese government, NextShark previously reported
- The other U.S. representatives in attendance were Democratic Representatives Mark Takano (CA), Elissa Slotkin (MI), Colin Allred (TX) and Sara Jacobs (CA).
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of China (Taiwan) wrote in a press release that it believes the bipartisan visitation will allow Taiwan and the U.S. Congress to deepen their friendship.
Controversial tweet: On Nov. 25, Mace tweeted: “Just touched down in the Republic of Taiwan,” followed by the emoji of the American flag and the emoji of the Taiwanese flag.
- Mace confirmed to CNN that the phrasing of her tweet was “100%” intentional. She said she tweeted “Republic of Taiwan” to show her solidarity with the Taiwanese people and to recognize their concerns about China.
- “We appreciate what [the Taiwanese people are] doing,” she said. “They are important to our economy and economies around the world, and we want to make sure that their democracy and freedoms are protected.”
- She told CNN that the Chinese embassy had called her and her fellow U.S. Representatives demanding that they cancel their trip to Taiwan
- The congresswoman said that many Taiwanese and Taiwanese-Americans reached out to her in appreciation, including one young woman who came up to her in tears and thanked her for her statement.
Featured Images Courtesy of @RepNancyMace and
