US President Joe Biden is sending a delegation of former senior defense and security officials to Taiwan in a show of support for the self-ruled island following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Taiwanese officials said Tuesday.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told a press briefing that the "prominent bipartisan delegation" led by Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be arriving later Tuesday for a two-day visit.

The visit comes as Russia launched attack on Ukraine from multiple fronts last week, causing concern that Chinese President Xi Jinping might emulate his Russian counterpart's strategy and exploit the confusion to seize Taiwan.

The visit during the Ukraine crisis shows that Taiwan-US relations are "rock solid," Ou said.

Premier Su Tseng-chang echoed the view, telling reporters at the legislature that the visit of the high-level delegation underscores the significance of Taiwan's strategic location and the steadfast support of the United States for Taiwan.

The delegation members include Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense under the administration of President Barack Obama and Meghan O'Sullivan, a former deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush.

Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang said President Tsai Ing-wen will meet on Wednesday morning with the members of the delegation, the first such group of former officials sent by Biden to Taiwan since April 2021.

In addition to condemning Russia, Tsai has ordered the military to remain on high alert against what she described as "cognitive warfare" and disinformation.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war. Beijing regards the island as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland by force if necessary.