President Lai Ching-te spoke Thursday to Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Taiwanese leader's office said as he visits the American territory Guam during a Pacific tour that has angered China.

Taiwan calls itself a sovereign nation, but Beijing insists the democratic island is part of its territory and opposes any official exchanges with it.

Lai's office said he spoke to Johnson on Thursday morning Guam time, the most high-level US contact the Taiwanese leader has had during his Pacific tour.

A 2022 visit to Taiwan by then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi prompted China to launch military drills around the self-ruled island.

The president also had calls with Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee.

They "conveyed the strong bipartisan support of the US Congress in assisting Taiwan in defending democracy and freedom," the president's office said.

Like most countries, the United States does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but Washington is Taipei's most important backer and biggest supplier of arms.

Lai's Pacific trip, and in particular his US stops, have drawn a barrage of criticism from Beijing,........

© International Business Times