Mike Pence made a surprise visit to the capital Taipei on Friday, calling on the incoming Donald Trump administration to continue supporting Taiwan against the threat of annexation by China.

On the eve of Trump's second presidential term, the estranged former vice president said that withdrawing or reducing support for Taiwan, as Trump has repeatedly said he is considering, would jeopardize global security and "could trigger A new nuclear arms race” in the Asia-Pacific region.

He said that if the Chinese Communist Party can control Taiwan, small Asian countries that are afraid of China will no longer have confidence in the deterrent power of the United States. "Eventually countries will feel they have no choice but to develop their own nuclear arsenals," he said.

He called on the new Trump administration and U.S. allies to "reaffirm our commitment" to provide Taiwan with everything it needs to defend itself and maintain its freedoms.

"In addition to military support, now is the best time for the new administration to start negotiations on a free trade agreement with Taiwan," he said.

Pence made his first surprise visit to Taiwan, serving as a special guest at the signing of an agreement between the Taipei Language Institute and the Purdue Research Forum in the United States, and speaking at a business forum after visiting Hong Kong.

U.S. media reported that he also planned to meet Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Meiqin, who served as Taiwan's de facto ambassador to the United States during Pence's tenure.

Pence wrote in a Washington Post editorial last week that a "troubling new isolationist trend" has emerged among the U.S. Republican Party, which advocates abandoning Taiwan under the threat of Chinese invasion.

He pointedly referred to Trump's recent dismissive comments about Taiwan, saying they showed "a dangerously narrow understanding of America's role in the world and an ignorance of the far-reaching consequences of America's disengagement."

Trump has made several comments suggesting his support for Taiwan may have waned, including accusing Taiwan of "stealing" the U.S. semiconductor industry and suggesting Taiwan pay the United States for "protection."

In his speech on Friday, Pence said that his and Trump's tenure in the White House "changed the national consensus" on China after decades of leaders "turning a blind eye" to China's human rights abuses and other problems. He urged Trump to reassure the world that the hard line would continue and that "the United States stands with Taiwan for the security and future of freedom and prosperity for the United States and all our Pacific allies."

Under Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party has vowed to annex Taiwan as a province of China and has not ruled out the use of force. The United States does not recognize Taiwan as a country but remains its biggest supporter, including providing military equipment and weapons.

Pence engaged in a bitter spat with Trump over the confirmation of Biden's election, with Trump seeking to overturn the decision, and during the ensuing Jan. 6 riot, some rioters chanted "Hang Mike Pence" ”, reportedly targeting the Vice President. Since leaving office, Pence has openly lobbied the United States to maintain its global presence and influence to counter rising authoritarianism.

At the UBS Wealth Insights Summit in Hong Kong on Thursday, Pence reportedly called for the release of Jimmy Lai, the media tycoon and democracy activist on trial for national security crimes. Lai is accused of conspiring with foreign powers, and prosecutors have presented a meeting with Pence in Washington as evidence. Lai denies using his connections to influence U.S. foreign policy.