Taiwanese Leaders Offer Their Condolences to Sen. Lindsey Graham

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and other officials are mourning the loss of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), calling him a dear friend to Taiwan.Lai stated that he was “deeply saddened” by the 71-year-old’s sudden death, according to his X post on July 12.“A true friend of Taiwan, Senator Graham will always be remembered as an unwavering advocate & defender of freedom,” Lai wrote. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time.”Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim echoed Lai’s remarks, calling the late senator a “strong supporter & advocate of the Taiwan-US trade & security partnership,” according to her X post on July 12. “May he rest in peace.”Graham passed away after a “brief and sudden illness” on July 11, according to his office, which later released preliminary findings stating that his death was caused by an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, essentially an aorta rupture resulting from the hardening of his arteries.His death has drawn tributes from leaders around the world, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.Taiwanese presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo noted that Graham had visited Taiwan three times, including on a 2022 trip as the leader of a bipartisan congressional delegation.“During his tenure, he actively promoted legislation in support of Taiwan, backed our international participation, advocated for the strengthening of our self-defense capabilities, and worked to deepen Taiwan-U.S. economic and trade relations,” Kuo said in a statement on July 12.During the 2022 visit, Graham’s delegation met with then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. At a joint news conference with Tsai in Taipei, Graham said the trip was a show of support for Taiwan and that the island enjoyed bipartisan support in the United States.“America has been politically divided,” Graham told Tsai. “But I want you to know, when it comes to Taiwan, we’re united.“It is often asked, ‘What would America do if the Communist Chinese Party became more provocative against Taiwan?’ I’m convinced we would stand for what we love. We would stand with you.“To abandon Taiwan would be to abandon democracy and freedom. It would be to abandon free trade. It would reward the worst in humanity.”Graham also met with Tsai in 2016 when he visited Taiwan as part of a congressional delegation led by U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), now deceased.In an X post on July 13, Tsai said she was “greatly saddened” by Graham’s passing.“Senator Graham was a true friend to Taiwan and a principled supporter of our freedom and democracy,” Tsai said. “He will be sorely missed by his friends in Taiwan, the US, and around the world.”Tsai served two four-year terms as Taiwan’s president from May 2016 until Lai succeeded her in May 2024. Tsai and Lai are both members of the Democratic Progressive Party.The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which considers Taiwan a renegade province, has labeled Tsai and Lai as “separatists” for their outspoken defense of the island’s sovereignty. Meanwhile, Beijing has rapidly expanded its military capabilities as it prepares for the possibility of an invasion of Taiwan.Graham sharply criticized communist China in December 2023 after an NBC report claimed that Chinese leader Xi Jinping had told then-U.S. President Joe Biden during their meeting in San Francisco the previous month that Beijing would “unify” Taiwan by peaceful means, although no timeline had been set.Calling the report “beyond unnerving,” Graham vowed to work with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to “draft pre-invasion sanctions from hell to impose on China if they take action to seize Taiwan.”In March, a bipartisan group of senators, including Graham, introduced legislation called the Sanctions Targeting Aggressors of Neighboring Democracies with Taiwan Act.The legislation would impose sweeping economic, financial, energy, and trade sanctions on China if Beijing were to take actions threatening Taiwan’s security, including military aggression.The proposed measures would target CCP officials, Chinese financial institutions, and state-linked entities, while restricting U.S. investments in businesses tied to the CCP and raising tariffs on Chinese imports.Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, also expressed its condolences over Graham’s passing.“A staunch supporter of [Taiwan’s] democracy and security, his steadfast friendship and enduring support will always be remembered,” the party wrote in an X post on July 13.