Head of powerful U.S. Senate armed services panel arrives in Taiwan to discuss defence

TAIPEI (Reuters) -U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee and one of the strongest advocates for Taiwan in the U.S. Congress, arrived in Taipei on Friday.

Wicker said he was visiting to reinforce and emphasise the "great partnership" the United States and Taiwan had and would have into the future.

"We're here to talk to our friends and allies in Taiwan about what we're doing to enhance worldwide peace, the kind of peace through strength that Ronald Reagan talked about," he told reporters at Taipei's downtown Songshan airport, referring to the late U.S. president.

"We stand here to re-emphasise the partnership and the security friendship agreement that the United States has had with Taiwan for some decades."

The Chinese embassy last month urged Wicker and lawmakers to cancel their plans to go to Taiwan. Beijing, which views the island as its own territory, regularly denounces any shows of support for Taipei from Washington.

The trip takes place as some members of Congress - both President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans and Democrats - have expressed concern that Trump is de-emphasising security issues as he works on negotiating a trade deal with China.

Administration officials have said Trump remains fully committed to Asia-Pacific security matters as he pursues his trade agenda and a good personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties.

(Reporting by Fabian Hamacher; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Stephen Coates)