Members of the US Congress who attended Republic of China (ROC) centennial celebrations hosted by the ROC representative office at the Twin Oaks Estate in Washington on Wednesday promised they would continue to advance Taiwan-US relations.
Taiwan’s centennial celebrations carry special historical meaning, said Representative Phil Gingrey, a Republican and co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus.
The US should stop avoiding the Taiwan Relations Act or pretending it does not exist, Gingrey said. The withdrawal of F-16 C/D fighter jets from a recent arms sales package was particularly disappointing, as the jets are crucial equipment for Taiwan’s defense, he added.
Taiwan’s successful democracy and trade experience are a model for other developing countries to follow, said Representative Ed Royce, another Republican.
The US House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs is pushing for a free-trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, which will bring benefits for both sides, Royce said.
He expressed hope what can be achieved through a Taiwan-US FTA would be similar to the existing economic and trade framework shared between South Korea and the US.
The ROC representative office has not hosted official national celebrations at White Oaks for since formal diplomatic ties were severed between the two countries more than three decades ago, Representative to the US Jason Yuan (袁健生) said.
To be able to organize national celebrations again there marks improving Taiwan-US relations and the shared trust between the two countries, Yuan said.
“We’re really seeing changes taking place in Taiwan-US relations,” said Nat Bellocchi former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).
Paul Wolfowitz, a former US deputy secretary of defense, also said the celebrations symbolize the improved friendly relations on an unofficial level.
Restoring some of the former functions of the Twin Oaks Estate — the former residence of the ROC ambassador to the US — has been challenging for Taiwan, but the restoration denotes US support for the ROC, Wolfowitz said.
More than 3,000 Taiwanese expatriates residing in the US attended the centennial celebration, along with 15 US members of the US Congress.
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