"Taiwan and the US continue to strengthen military ties. Taiwan will more actively cooperate with the US and other democratic partners to counter such global challenges as authoritarian expansionism and climate change," Tsai said during a meeting with a delegation of members of the US Congress in Taipei.

Last week, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said that the delegation of the US House of Representatives led by California Rep. Ro Khanna had arrived in Taipei on a five-day visit. The lawmakers are meeting the island's officials to discuss the issues of bilateral security, trade and economic cooperation.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan — a territory with its own elected government — maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contact of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.

Beijing has repeatedly insisted that other countries should respect the one-China principle especially after a visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in August 2022 that unleashed a wave of Western politicians' trips to Taiwan.

(With UNI inputs)