Taipei: Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen said Taipei and Washington are cooperating to oppose "authoritarianism" abroad. Taiwan has said that it is continuously improving its military relations with the US.

President Tsai said security ties with the US continue to grow stronger, speaking to a group of American lawmakers who are in Taiwan for a five-day visit over the weekend.

He told lawmakers at a meeting in Taipei that Taiwan would work with the United States and other democratic partners to tackle global issues such as authoritarian expansionism and climate change. Taiwan and the United States continue to increase their military exchanges.

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Despite Tsai's lack of specifics about increased military cooperation, her words came in the wake of reports that Michael Chase, the Pentagon's top China official, visited Taiwan last week for high-level security discussions.

Heino Clink, deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, met with Taiwanese officials for a private round of talks in 2019, making him the highest-ranking US military official to visit the island since then.

The Financial Times also claims Taiwan's foreign minister and national security adviser traveled to Washington for "secret" meetings over the weekend.

Officials are said to have kept the trip secret to avoid upsetting Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of its sovereign territory.

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That's despite the fact that Chinese officials have refused to comment on the alleged meetings in the US capital or the recent visit of a delegation of US lawmakers to the island.

Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesman, condemned Chase's recent visit and affirmed Beijing's position of "firmly opposed" to official dialogue and military contact between the US and the Taiwan region.

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According to Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who is still in charge of the US delegation in Taiwan, the visit is "in no way a provocation to China" and is "consistent with the president's foreign policy", which acknowledges the importance of the relationship. Those with Taiwan are still pursuing, finally, peace in the region.