U.S. Lawmakers Travel to Taiwan on Heels of Pelosi Visit

The American delegation’s visit was confirmed by a spokesman for Taiwan’s Presidential Office, who said the lawmakers would be meeting with Ms. Tsai on Monday.

“At a time when China continues to escalate regional tensions, the U.S. Congress once again organized a heavyweight delegation to visit Taiwan to demonstrate friendship without fear of China’s threats,” Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said, noting that the delegation would also meet with Taiwanese Foreign Minister

Joseph Wu.

The Chinese embassy in Washington D.C. didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The visit comes barely two weeks after Ms. Pelosi spent two days in Taiwan as part of an Asian tour to meet allies that sparked a furious response from Beijing both before and after. Ms. Pelosi, long a strident critic of China’s human-rights record, became the most senior U.S. politician in more than 25 years to pay the island a visit.

Beijing responded to Ms. Pelosi’s trip by launching missiles over Taiwan, sending warships across the median line of the Taiwan Strait and simulating a blockade of Taiwan with multiday military exercises near the island. Beijing also suspended climate talks with the U.S. and cut off some forms of military-to-military communication with the Pentagon.

China’s Communist Party considers Taiwan a part of China and has vowed to take control of the democratically self-ruled island, by force if necessary. Ties between Taipei and Washington have grown tighter in recent years, stirring anxiety in China.

Beijing is concerned that Mrs. Pelosi’s visit could trigger a “domino effect” of other world politicians traveling to Taipei, which would boost its international standing, potentially encouraging it to formally declare independence, according to the people with knowledge of Chinese thinking.

Beijing announced an end to drills around Taiwan on Wednesday but said it would continue to conduct regular patrols of the Taiwan Strait. On Friday, the White House’s China coordinator,

Kurt Campbell,

said the U.S. would likewise send ships through the strait.

“We will continue to fly, sail and operate where international law allows, consistent with our long-standing commitment to freedom of navigation,” he said.

In addition to Mr. Markey, Sunday’s delegation included House members

John Garamendi

(D., Calif.),

Alan Lowenthal

(D., Calif.),

Don Beyer

(D., Virginia), and

Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen

(R., America Samoa).

U.S. lawmakers have traveled to Taiwan several times over the past year. Democratic Sen.

Bob Menendez,

chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and senior Republican senator

Lindsey Graham

paid a surprise visit to the island in April. Shortly after returning, they proposed new legislation, the Taiwan Policy Act, which aims to further tighten defense ties with the Taipei.

The bill, which has bipartisan support, would provide Taiwan with roughly $4.5 billion in security assistance from the U.S. over the next four years, and label the island a major non-NATO ally, referring to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which would provide additional defense and security benefits for the island.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said 28 Chinese planes and vessels carried out maneuvers around the areas near Taiwan on Sunday, with 11 of them crossing the median line in the Taiwan Strait.

News of Mr. Markey’s visit jumped to the top of the hottest topics list on China’s

Twitter

-like social-media site Weibo late Sunday night. While most users expressed support for Beijing’s stance on Taiwan, some said the congressional delegation’s visit was a sign that China had been too tolerant of Ms. Pelosi trip.

Write to Liza Lin at Liza.Lin@wsj.com and Joyu Wang at joyu.wang@wsj.com