TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A top US Republican senator is reportedly set to visit Taiwan in August, signaling continued congressional support amid growing Chinese pressure and concerns over shifting White House policy.

Roger Wicker, chair of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, is expected to lead a delegation to Taiwan in August, the Financial Times reported Thursday, citing three sources familiar with the matter. Wicker, one of Taiwan’s staunchest allies in Congress, held a virtual meeting with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) last year during Lai’s transit through Guam in December.

Bonnie Glaser, director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, said the visit would reaffirm the US commitment to Taiwan’s democracy, prosperity, and security. She added it would also deter Beijing, strengthen economic ties, and challenge the narrative — promoted by both China and some in Taiwan — that the US is an unreliable partner.

Retired US Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery said a visit by Wicker “would be fantastic,” citing his strong support for enhancing Taiwan’s deterrence against China.

Zack Cooper, an Asia expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said, “Given the Trump administration’s recent concessions to China, many in Taipei will look to the Congress for reassurance that Taiwan still matters to the US.” He added the visit could help improve US-Taiwan communication as Washington urges Taipei to invest in specific defense capabilities.

During this week’s trade talks in Stockholm, and ahead of a potential fall summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the White House has taken steps that appear to yield to pressure from Beijing on Taiwan policy. These include discouraging Lai’s planned US transit in early August and canceling Defense Minister Wellington Koo's (顧立雄) scheduled June meeting with senior Pentagon officials.