Mike Johnson

TAIPEI (Kyodo) -- Taiwanese Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu met U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson in Washington on Friday and exchanged views on security and economic cooperation, his office said.

Han thanked Johnson "for his longstanding and steadfast support for Taiwan and for advancing Taiwan-U.S. relations," according to a statement from the Legislative Yuan.

Leading a bipartisan delegation of Taiwanese lawmakers, Han also met Friday with U.S. State Department officials to discuss the development of the drone industry and Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation.

Facing an increasingly challenging regional security environment, Han said Taiwan would continue to safeguard its homeland by strengthening its national defense and self-defense capabilities while upholding its democracy.

On Wednesday, Han met with over 30 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers at a reception and called for continued support from Congress for the self-ruled island's participation in international organizations. Participants of the reception included former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The island, home to about 23 million people, is claimed by mainland China as part of its territory and is excluded from most international organizations. Taipei only has 12 diplomatic allies as most countries maintain official ties with Beijing.

Han, a senior figure in Taiwan's main opposition party, the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, was on a six-day trip to the United States through Friday. His trip followed a visit to Washington earlier this month by Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the KMT, which favors a more conciliatory approach toward the mainland.