Taiwan is leaning on US congressional support as it frames its own defense as the linchpin of Indo-Pacific stability — reassuring for Taipei, pointed toward Beijing.

• Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim met a US House delegation led by Brendan Boyle, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, and said Taiwan's security is critical to the whole region's security.
• She credited Congress with anchoring the relationship through the Taiwan Relations Act and the annual defense bill, which back Taiwan's defense and its room to operate internationally.
• Taiwan's role in the tech supply chain was held up as the practical glue: Taipei gains from US innovation and investment, and both sides gain from keeping chips flowing.
• Shared democratic values were the other theme, with an acknowledgment that both political systems have their own internal fights and divisions.

Outlook: Expect more US congressional visits and continued defense-bill support for Taipei, and continued friction with Beijing over each one.