A leading Republican senator on Tuesday demanded that President Joe Biden make amends over a cut in transmission of Taiwan's speech during last week's democracy summit, in what an official called an "honest mistake."

Audrey Tang, a Taiwanese minister, was speaking Friday at Biden's inaugural virtual Summit on Democracy when the broadcast abruptly stopped.

The cut came as Tang appeared before a map that showed Taiwan and China in different colors — indicative of divergent levels of democracy but possibly interpreted as recognizing the island as independent, a stance that infuriates Beijing.

Senator Marco Rubio, who has championed a hard line on China, accused Biden of trying to appease Beijing and questioned why Taiwan, unlike many participants, was not represented by its head of state.

"All that your administration accomplished in downgrading Taiwan's representation was to once again signal weakness rather than resolve," he said in a letter.

He asked Biden to take steps to "make amends" over Taiwan including at a second, in-person democracy summit planned for next year.

A State Department official denied any intent, noting that Tang's presentation can be seen online without interruption.

"There was confusion over the use of screen sharing, which resulted in the video feed being dropped. This was an honest mistake," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"We valued Minister Tang's participation, which showcased Taiwan's world-class expertise on issues of transparent governance, human rights, and countering disinformation."

China denounced the summit, saying the United States was using democracy as a "weapon of mass destruction."

Tensions have risen in recent weeks as China steps up military moves near Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy that Beijing considers a province awaiting reunification.

Biden has sought to emphasize democracy in an implicit shift from his predecessor Donald Trump, who befriended authoritarian leaders, criticized US allies and sought to overturn his election defeat.

French lawmakers arrive in Taiwan for five-day visit
Taipei (AFP) Dec 15, 2021 –

A delegation of French lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday in the latest sign of increasingly vocal Western support for Taipei having a place on the world stage despite threats from Beijing.

The six-member delegation from the French National Assembly, led by Francois de Rugy, will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials before leaving on Sunday, Taipei's foreign ministry said.

It is the second time this year a delegation from France has visited the island and is the latest in a flurry of trips made by European and American politicians that have angered Beijing.

In October, China condemned a visit by a group of French senators led by Alain Richard to Taiwan, accusing the delegation of undermining relations between Paris and Beijing.

Richard's group made the visit despite warnings from China and he called Taiwan a "country" repeatedly during the trip.

China claims self-ruled democratic Taiwan as part of its territory to be retaken one day, by force if necessary.

It has tried to keep Taiwan isolated on the world stage and seethes at the official use of the name Taiwan or any reference to it as a country.

Since Tsai's 2016 election win, Beijing has ramped up pressure on Taiwan and aggressively tried to dissuade politicians from visiting.

Beijing conducted military drills near the Taiwan Strait following a visit by a group of American lawmakers, the second members of Congress to visit Taiwan last month.

Taiwan's defence minister has warned that military tensions between the island and China were at their highest in four decades, after around 150 Chinese warplanes — a record number — made incursions into Taiwan's air defence zone in October.