California has changed its policy and will now allow Taiwanese Americans to list their place of birth as “Taiwan” when they register to vote rather than “Taiwan, Province of China.”
The move was made less than a week after California Democratic Representative Howard Berman wrote a letter of protest.
“Today is a victory for the Taiwanese-American community in California,” Berman said.
“An unfortunate wrong was righted and when Taiwanese Americans register to vote in California. No longer will they have to list ‘Taiwan, Province of China’ as their country of birth,” he said.
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen had resisted making a change — despite protests from Taiwanese Americans — until Berman became involved.
In 1994, Berman was responsible for a bill that for the first time allowed Taiwanese Americans to list Taiwan rather than China as their birthplace when applying for a US passport.
“It is incontestable reality that Taiwan is not a province of China,” Formosan Association of Public Affairs (FAPA) president Mark Kao (高龍榮) said.
“If American citizens travel to Taiwan, the Chinese embassy is unable to issue a visa to Taiwan,” he said.
In other developments, a legislative draft calling on US President Barack Obama to resume normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and “aggressively support” Taiwan’s full participation in the UN will be introduced in the US House of Representatives tomorrow.
The new resolution is being jointly co-sponsored by Republican Representative Michael McCaul and Democrat Representative Robert Andrews.
Washington cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 when then-US president Jimmy Carter formally recognized China. Carter acted without consulting the US Congress or seeking its approval.
“Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and has been a steadfast ally of the United States and a compassionate member of the international community,” McCaul said.
“Obama should support a ‘one China, one Taiwan’ policy that gives legitimacy to our Taiwanese friends and partners,” he said.
“It is time the US government acknowledged Taiwan as the sovereign and independent state that it is,” Andrews said. “Throughout our history we have supported the right to self determination for sovereign peoples throughout the world. In the case of Taiwan, it is time to stand on that principle once again.”
Taiwan is one of only five countries in the world with which the US does not have diplomatic relations. The others are Bhutan, Cuba, Iran and North Korea.
While the resolution to resume normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan has no chance of passing at this time, it is considered important as a way to remind the US Congress of Taiwan’s status.
“There is enormous sympathy for the island,” FAPA official Coen Blaauw said. “A great many members of Congress are appalled that democratic Taiwan is linked with such bad actors as Cuba, Iran and North Korea.”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
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