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.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post said in a report published on Monday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro Jr told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week. Although there has been no formal change to the Philippines’ diplomatic stance on recognizing Taiwan, Manila is increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, the report said. The number of Chinese vessels in the seas around the Philippines, as well as Chinese
URBAN COMBAT: FIM-92 Stinger shoulder-fired missiles from the US made a rare public appearance during early-morning drills simulating an invasion of the Taipei MRT The ongoing Han Kuang military exercises entered their sixth day yesterday, simulating repelling enemy landings in Penghu County, setting up fortifications in Tainan, laying mines in waters in Kaohsiung and conducting urban combat drills in Taipei. At 5am in Penghu — part of the exercise’s first combat zone — participating units responded to a simulated rapid enemy landing on beaches, combining infantry as well as armored personnel. First Combat Zone Commander Chen Chun-yuan (陳俊源) led the combined armed troops utilizing a variety of weapons systems. Wang Keng-sheng (王鏗勝), the commander in charge of the Penghu Defense Command’s mechanized battalion, said he would give
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
RSS