The leadership of the Taiwan Caucus in the US Congress has introduced legislation to reaffirm Washington's commitment to Taiwan's peace and security in the face of a continued buildup of Chinese missiles across the Taiwan Strait.
The legislation recommits Washington to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and urges the George W. Bush administration to make greater efforts to persuade China to renounce the use of force against Taiwan.
The bill would mark the 24th anniversary of the act, which was signed on April 10, 1979. It was drawn up in response to the Jimmy Carter administration's decision the previous December to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing at the expense of relations with Taipei.
The law established semi-official relations between Washington and Taipei and commits the US to providing Taiwan with sufficient arms to defend itself.
The bill was introduced in the House by the four co-chairmen of the caucus, which was formed last year to promote Taiwan's interests in Congress, monitor issues of importance to Taiwan and inform other lawmakers about Taiwan concerns.
The new legislation in the House calls on the Bush administration to "reaffirm its unwavering commitment to the TRA as the cornerstone of United States relations with Taiwan."
It expresses Congress' "grave concern regarding the military modernization and weapons procurement program of the PRC, and particularly regarding its deployment of hundreds of missiles in Fujian Province directed toward Taiwan."
"The president should direct all appropriate United States officials to raise these grave concerns regarding military threats to Taiwan with officials from the People's Republic of China," the measure says.
It also calls on the president to seek from Chinese leaders "an immediate and unequivocal public renunciation of any use of force, or threat to use force, against Taiwan."
Among other things, the bill urges the administration to encourage further dialogue between Taiwan and China, and states that US policy should be to publicly support a US-Taiwan free-trade agreement.
Taiwan supporters cheered the introduction of the measure. Wu Ming-chi (
"President Bush has been most forceful in dealing with Iraq," Wu said.
"Through this resolution, House members ask that he put some muscle to work and press China's leaders to do a dramatic U-turn in its attempt to intimidate Taiwan," he said.
The bill would not have the force of law if passed by Congress, but nevertheless expresses the "sense of Congress" in renewed support for the TRA.
The legislation notes that Taiwan is a "full-fledged, multi-party democracy respecting human rights and civil liberties," and says that any attempt to determine
Taiwan's future "by other than peaceful means" and without the "express consent of the people of Taiwan would be considered of grave concern to the United States."
Taiwan supporters in Washington appear to expect the resolution to gain easy passage, at least in the House and probably in the Senate, as most other pro-Taiwan bills have in the past.
According to several sources, China is estimated to have amassed as many as 400 short-range missiles in Fujian Province across the Strait from Taiwan and is adding 50 to the total every year.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique