TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A government delegation headed by Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) has canceled its visit to Taiwan’s Taiping Island due to heavy rain.

Kuan originally planned to board an Air Force C-130 transport plane to the island on Aug. 6, accompanied by Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Minister Su Chun-jung (蘇俊榮) and Minister of Digital Affairs Huang Yen-nun (黃彥男), Liberty Times reported.

In a message relayed via the Coast Guard Administration, Kuan emphasized the trip was about strengthening territorial defense and understanding the needs of personnel stationed on Taiping Island.

A delegation of Kuomintang lawmakers visited the island in May to observe military exercises and inspect new facilities. The group of 10 legislators called on then-President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) to assert the country's sovereignty over the island in his inauguration speech.

Taiping Island is located in the middle of the South China Sea and under the administrative control of the Kaohsiung municipal government as part of Cijin District. The island is home to military and research facilities.