The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019 and House Resolution 273 reaffirming the US’ commitment to Taiwan and the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
The Taiwan Assurance Act was passed without objection, while the resolution was carried in a vote of 414 votes in favor, zero against and 17 abstentions.
“It is the sense of [the US] Congress that Taiwan is a vital part of the United States free and open Indo-Pacific strategy,” the Taiwan Assurance Act reads.
Photo: Reuters
The US should “conduct regular sales and transfers of defense articles to Taiwan in order to enhance its self-defense capabilities, particularly its efforts to develop and integrate asymmetric capabilities, including undersea warfare and defense capabilities, into its military forces,” it says.
In the fourth section on “Taiwan’s Inclusion in International Organizations,” the Taiwan Assurance Act says that it is US policy to advocate for the nation’s “meaningful participation” in international bodies “as appropriate,” giving as examples the UN, the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol.
It is also US policy to advocate for Taiwan’s membership in the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNESCO and “other international organizations for which statehood is not a requirement for membership,” it says.
It requires the US secretary of state to review the US Department of State’s guidance governing relations with Taiwan, including its “Guidelines on Relations with Taiwan” and other documents, and to reissue the guidance to the US government’s executive branch departments and agencies within 180 days of enactment.
Meanwhile, the resolution says that the TRA and the “six assurances” have been “essential components in helping to maintain peace, security and stability in the Western Pacific,” and are “cornerstones” of US policy toward Taiwan.
The House encourages mutual visits between US and Taiwanese officials, per the Taiwan Travel Act that was signed into law in March last year, the resolution says.
It also reiterates that the US president should conduct “regular transfers of defense articles to Taiwan consistent with Taiwan’s national security requirements in accordance to prior legislation.”
It calls on the secretary of state to “actively engage internationally in support of Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations engaged in addressing transnational threats and challenges,” and recognizes Taiwan’s “partnership in combating global terrorism.”
In Taipei yesterday, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) thanked the House for its support, saying that the passage of the resolution is especially important on the 40th anniversary of the TRA.
Calling the US Taiwan’s “most important partner in the international community,” Chang said that the government’s efforts over the past three years have allowed it to be seen as a reliable partner in maintaining the “status quo” of regional peace and stability.
Taiwan’s strategic importance is no longer restricted to the Taiwan Strait, but now includes the Pacific, he said.
Taiwan would continue to play a role in maintaining the “status quo” of regional peace and stability with its partners, he added.
NO CONSENSUS YET: Local governments and the CECC have agreed to change the ‘3+4’ self-isolation policy, but are still mulling what to replace it with The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) and local governments have agreed to ease restrictions on close contacts of COVID-19 cases, although the details are still being discussed, the center said yesterday. The discussions follow Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Saturday approving a proposal to shorten the “3+4” policy — three days of home isolation followed by four days of self-disease prevention — for close contacts who have received booster doses. “We did not reach a consensus on how to revise the current restrictions, but we all agreed that the administrative burden must be reduced and the intensity of restrictions must be eased,
OPPOSING CHINESE ‘HOSTILITY’: The bill orders the state secretary to create a plan to regain observer status for Taiwan, saying Taipei is a model contributor to world health US President Joe Biden on Friday signed a bill into law to help Taiwan regain observer status at the World Health Assembly (WHA), demonstrating Washington’s support for Taiwan’s international participation. Friday was the deadline for Biden to sign the bill (S.812), which directs “the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization (WHO), and for other purposes.” The 75th WHA, the decisionmaking body of the WHO, is scheduled to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, from Sunday next week to May 28. The bill, introduced by US Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the US Senate
REACHING OUT: President Tsai expressed condolences to the deceased man’s family and wished a speedy recovery to those who were wounded in the shooting The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) on Monday called on the US to label organizations associated with the suspect in the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church shooting as domestic terrorists, following accusations that he was a member of a group backing unification with ties to the Chinese government. David Wenwei Chou (周文偉), 68, was arrested on Sunday and is being held in lieu of US$1 million bail at the Orange County Intake Release Center over a mass shooting at the California church that left one dead and five wounded. Local police suspect the shooting was politically motivated after they found notes in
‘DAMOCLES SWORD’: An Italian missionary said the arrest of cardinal Zen is a blow for the church in Hong Kong, China and the world, signaling great danger ahead China yesterday defended the arrest of a 90-year-old Catholic cardinal under Hong Kong’s National Security Law, a move that triggered international outrage and deepened concerns over Beijing’s crackdown on freedoms in the territory. Retired cardinal Joseph Zen (陳日君), one of the most senior Catholic clerics in Asia, was among a group of veteran democracy advocates arrested on Wednesday for “colluding with foreign forces.” Pop singer Denise Ho (何韻詩), veteran barrister Margaret Ng (吳靄儀) and cultural studies academic Hui Po-keung (許寶強) were also arrested, the latter as he attempted to fly to Europe to take up an academic post. Cyd Ho (何秀蘭), a democracy