Visits to the US by Taiwan's democratically elected leaders would be conducive to the development of cross-strait relations, a People First Party (PFP) whip said yesterday.
Chen Chih-pin (
Chen said that allowing Taiwanese leaders to make official visits to the US will also help the Taiwanese people better grasp their leaders' ideas and the government's policy on cross-strait relations.
"At least the president wouldn't dare lie to the US president during such a visit, and what he would say would count, even if he lies to the people and lawmakers back home," Chen said.
Chen added that since the US is committed to protecting Taiwan based on the Taiwan Relations Act, it is essential and imperative for the president of the Republic of China to visit the US.
The amendment that the International Relations Committee passed on Thursday was submitted by the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations on May 26.
The proposed amendment says that "it is in the national interests of the United States to communicate directly with democratically elected and appointed officials of Taiwan, including the president of Taiwan, the vice president of Taiwan, the foreign minister of Taiwan, and the defense minister of Taiwan."
"The Department of State should, in accordance with Public Law 103-416, admit such high level officials of Taiwan to the United States to discuss issues of mutual concern with the US officials," the amendment also states.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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