U.S. lawmakers visit Taiwan, plan to meet senior leaders

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Five U.S. lawmakers are in Taiwan in a surprise one-day visit, says the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy. The lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives touched down in Taiwan on Thursday night and will meet with senior leaders on the island. No further details were provided about their itinerary. The visit comes as tensions between Taiwan and China have risen to their highest level in decades. Representatives Mark Takano, D-Calif.,  Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Colin Allred, D-Texas., and Representative Sara Jacobs, D-Calif. are all part of the visiting delegation. The visit comes just a few weeks after a group of six Republican lawmakers visited the island.