U.S. lawmakers defy China by meeting with officials in Taiwan

WASHINGTON — Five U.S. lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Thursday to meet with government officials, defying an admonition from Beijing to stay away from the hotly contested democratic island. "When news of our trip broke yesterday, my office received a blunt message from the Chinese Embassy, telling me to call off the trip," Rep Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., wrote on Twitter. “The auto industry's largest supplier of microchips is here in Taiwan, so supply chain issues will most definitely be on the agenda.” Slotkin’s office later shared with NBC News excerpts of a letter it said it received from the embassy…