The US Congress is concerned that China's proposed "anti-secession" law could change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait or increase the possibility of a Chinese attack, and would respond if the law increased either danger, senior congressional staffers on the House International Relations Committee warned on Friday.
But until Beijing publishes the text of the proposed legislation, which it has so far kept a secret, there is little that Congress can do, the staffers told a seminar hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington.
In any event, the staffers said, the earliest that Congress could respond to any dangers posed by the law would be next month, since China's National People's Congress is not expected to approve and publish the law before March 15.
Congress goes out on a two-week spring break a few days after that date.
"We are very concerned about China's not doing anything to change the status quo across the Strait, and if the law in any way changes the status quo or increases the threat of the use of force, Congress is likely to speak out in opposition to it," said Peter Yeo, deputy Democratic staff director of the House committee.
Conceding that "there are limits to what we can do," Yeo said that Congress would likely express concern over the law.
Dennis Halpin, the committee staffer responsible for China affairs for the majority Republicans, agreed. He cited US President George W. Bush's comments on Dec. 9, 2003, in which Bush publicly berated President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for planning an election-day referendum on cross-strait matters. Bush at the time opposed any changes in the status quo by either side, including Beijing, Halpin said.
Congress is prepared to press the administration on that statement, Halpin said.
"If people see that the language that comes out of the anti-secession law is a clear direction to the change in the status quo, people would remind the administration of its public statement opposing changes in the status quo," he said.
The US has already voiced its opposition to a draconian "anti-secession" law, and Beijing may have reacted to that, the congressional staffers indicated.
"I think it should be clear through private and other channels that the people in Beijing are well aware of Congress' bottom-line concerns on this," Halpin said. "So if they decide to cross the Rubicon, there will be a reaction," he said.
Halpin also predicted that there would be a "vigorous congressional response" if the EU ends its arms embargo on China.
"It is a very high priority for the committee," he said. People in "very high levels of our committee are very concerned about the EU action."
He would not give details, and refused to comment on reports that Congress may impose sanctions against the EU in response.
Speaking on US arms sales to Taiwan, Yeo described as "shocking" the Legislative Yuan's failure to pass the special defense budget authorizing the purchase of diesel submarines, PAC-3 anti-missile batteries and PC-3 anti-submarine aircraft.
"It is undoubtedly going to have an impact on US-Taiwan relations," he said.
"Taiwan needs to recognize that it has to approve the additional defense spending, because the US is not going to be solely responsible for Taiwan's defense," he said.
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said. Together, they would create an immersive language environment, helping to motivate students while enhancing the skills of local teachers, she said. The ministry has since 2021 been recruiting foreign teachers through the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, which offers placement, salary, housing and other benefits to eligible foreign teachers. Two centers serving northern and southern Taiwan assist in recruiting and training
WIDE NET: Health officials said they are considering all possibilities, such as bongkrekic acid, while the city mayor said they have not ruled out the possibility of a malicious act of poisoning Two people who dined at a restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 last week have died, while four are in intensive care, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. All of the outlets of Malaysian vegetarian restaurant franchise Polam Kopitiam have been ordered to close pending an investigation after 11 people became ill due to suspected food poisoning, city officials told a news conference in Taipei. The first fatality, a 39-year-old man who ate at the restaurant on Friday last week, died of kidney failure two days later at the city’s Mackay Memorial Hospital. A 66-year-old man who dined
EYE ON STRAIT: The US spending bill ‘doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan,’ while also seeking to counter the influence of China US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law a US$1.2 trillion spending package that includes US$300 million in foreign military financing to Taiwan, as well as funding for Taipei-Washington cooperative projects. The US Congress early on Saturday overwhelmingly passed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 to avoid a partial shutdown and fund the government through September for a fiscal year that began six months ago. Under the package, the Defense Appropriations Act would provide a US$27 billion increase from the previous fiscal year to fund “critical national defense efforts, including countering the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” according to a summary
‘CARRIER KILLERS’: The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes’ stealth capability means they have a radar cross-section as small as the size of a fishing boat, an analyst said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over a ceremony at Yilan County’s Suao Harbor (蘇澳港), where the navy took delivery of two indigenous Tuo Chiang-class corvettes. The corvettes, An Chiang (安江) and Wan Chiang (萬江), along with the introduction of the coast guard’s third and fourth 4,000-tonne cutters earlier this month, are a testament to Taiwan’s shipbuilding capability and signify the nation’s resolve to defend democracy and freedom, Tsai said. The vessels are also the last two of six Tuo Chiang-class corvettes ordered from Lungteh Shipbuilding Co (龍德造船) by the navy, Tsai said. The first Tuo Chiang-class vessel delivered was Ta Chiang (塔江)