Taipei, Taiwan - Senior members of the Senate Armed Services Committee arrived in Taiwan on Friday to "re-emphasize the partnership" between the US and the island.

Republican Senator Roger Wicker, a vocal supporter of Taiwan, is leading a congressional delegation trip in the Asia-Pacific region, which has included stops in Hawaii, Guam, Palau, and the Philippines.

Their arrival in Taipei comes as President Donald Trump seeks to strike a trade deal with China, which insists Taiwan is part of its territory.

"We stand here to re-emphasize the partnership and the security, friendship agreement that the United States has had with Taiwan for some decades," Wicker told reporters ahead of meetings with President Lai Ching-te and other government officials.

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"We have re-emphasized that in the past two National Defense Authorization acts, and we will add to the provisions again in this year's Defense Authorization Act, which will be on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday of next week."

Republican Senator Deb Fischer, who also sits on the Armed Services Committee, said "security, opportunities and progress for this part of the world" would be on the agenda during their two-day visit to Taiwan.

Since Trump returned to the White House in January, there has been growing concern in Taipei over the strength of the Taiwan-US relationship and Washington's willingness to defend the island if China were to attack.

While the US does not recognize Taiwan as a country, Washington is its most important backer and biggest supplier of arms.

The Trump administration reportedly denied permission for Lai to transit in New York as part of a planned official trip to Latin America this month after Beijing objected.

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Lai reportedly then canceled the trip.

Taiwan is also struggling to finalize a tariff deal with the US after Washington imposed a temporary 20% levy that has alarmed the export-dependent island's manufacturers.

As those negotiations continue, Lai's government has announced plans to increase defense spending to more than 3% of GDP next year and to 5% by 2030.