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Senators push for high-level visits

In yet another sign of the growing tensions between Congress and the administration of US President George W. Bush over Taiwan policy, a group of six senators introduced a resolution on Tuesday urging the government to allow President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and other top Taiwanese officials to travel freely to Washington and elsewhere in the country.

The resolution calls on all restrictions on high-level elected and appointed Taiwanese officials to be lifted, and that Cabinet-level bilateral exchanges be allowed.

"It is in the interest of the United States to strengthen links between the United States and the democratically elected officials of Taiwan and demonstrate stronger support for democracy in the Asia-Pacific region," the resolution says.

The measure is identical to one passed unanimously by the House of Representatives on July 30. Both are non-binding bills that express the "sense of Congress."

The senate bill was introduced by the two co-chairmen of the Senate Taiwan Caucus, Tim Johnson and Trent Lott, joined by four leading Taiwan backers in the upper congressional chamber -- Saxby Chamblis, Sherrod Brown, Tom Coburn and James Inhofe.

It was Johnson's first legislative act as caucus co-chairman since he suffered a life-threatening brain hemorrhage last December, shortly after re-election to his Senate seat. He recently returned to the Senate to resume full duties.

It is also the first Taiwan bill introduced by Lott, a former senate majority leader, since he was named co-chairman in January.

Brown was a co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus in the House until his elevation to the Senate in last year's elections, and Chamblis was an active member of that caucus when he was in the House.

Inhofe and Coburn are also members of the 25-member Senate caucus.

The bill was introduced just hours after the House approved without opposition a bill that took the administration to task for blocking the sale of 66 advanced F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Taiwan, claiming the action violated the Taiwan Relations Act's requirement to supply Taiwan with sufficient weaponry in defense against Chinese aggression.

The visits bill calls Taiwan "one of the strongest democratic allies of the United States," and said that "for over half a century, a close relationship has existed" which has been of enormous political, economic, cultural and strategic advantage to both countries.

It notes that the US government continues to adhere to guidelines dating back to the 1970s, just after Washington switched diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing, and which block Washington visits by Taiwan's president, vice president, premier and foreign and defense ministers.

"Whenever high-level visitors from Taiwan, including the president, seek to come to the United States, their request results in a period of complex, lengthy and humiliating negotiations," the bill says.

"Lifting these restrictions will help bring a friend and ally of the United States out of its isolation, which will be beneficial to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," it says.

BENEFITS

"In consideration of the major economic, security and political interests shared by the United States and Taiwan, it is to the benefit of the United States for United States officials to meet and communicate directly with the democratically elected officials of Taiwan," it says.

Representative David Wu (吳振偉) -- who was born in Taiwan -- praised the bill.

"Almost any person born and raised in Taiwan has the freedom to travel to the United States," Wu said.

"But when a person is chosen through democratic elections to become the leader of the Taiwanese people, this freedom is inappropriately rescinded by the US government," he said.

"While the United States attempts to promote democracy around the world, we lock the doors of our capital city to the leaders of a fellow democracy. Rather than symbolically shunning Taiwan's democratically elected leaders, we should welcome them ... Taiwan deserves this long overdue respect," Wu said.

UNFRIENDLY SENATE

The bill was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but its fate there is uncertain.

The committee under its current chairman, Senator Joseph Biden, has shown no interest in Taiwan-related issues this year, and Biden, who has nearly dictatorial power to determine the fate of committee bills, has been less than warm toward Taiwan in the past.

Whether the sponsors can circumvent the committee and bring the measure directly to the floor is uncertain.
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