The Taiwan Policy Act of 2011 is back on track in the US House of Representatives after being held up for weeks on a procedural issue.
It is now likely to come to a vote late next month or early May and is expected to pass the Republican-controlled House without problem.
The bill will then move to the Democrat-controlled US Senate, where it faces serious obstacles. Nevertheless, supporters say that it will still serve as a signal of strong support for Taiwan from the House.
To overcome objections from some members of the House Judiciary Committee, the part of the bill dealing with the US’ visa-waiver program has been removed.
The visa-waiver program will continue to proceed independently and is expected to be implemented before the end of the year.
Taiwan was nominated to the program in December last year and the move has bipartisan support and is backed by US President Barack Obama.
However, some Judiciary Committee members saw the inclusion of visa-waiver program language in the Taiwan Policy Act as a complicating factor and to let the act proceed, the issue was struck from the Taiwan Policy Act.
US congressional sources said US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairperson of the House Foreign Relations Committee, now wants to see the act passed by a floor vote before she leaves to visit Taiwan on May 18.
“We are very pleased that this important piece of legislation is moving forward,” said Terri Giles, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Formosa Foundation.
The act has about 30 cosponsors and in no way amends or supersedes the Taiwan Relations Act.
It clarifies US foreign policy as supporting Taiwan and the human rights of its people; it calls for all US and Taiwanese officials to be able to meet normally; it supports a comprehensive extradition agreement and promotes the sale of F-16C/D aircraft to Taiwan.
Among other provisions, the act calls for the negotiation of a free-trade agreement with Taiwan and asks the US Department of State to continue its program to ensure meaningful participation by Taiwan in international organizations.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
RSS