The US Congress may consider 15 “salient” Taiwan policy issues this year, based on a report released this week by the Congressional Research Service.
The report, The US-Taiwan Relationship: Overview of Policy Issues, outlines issues ranging from arms sales to trade, relations with Beijing to membership in international organizations. The issues are presented in the form of questions that members of Congress are urged to ask themselves.
Written by Asian security affairs specialist Shirley Kan and Asian trade and finance specialist Wayne Morrison, the 30-page report could set the Taiwan agenda for the upcoming Congressional session.
In an overview of US policy interests and issues, Kan and Morrison say that Taiwan has been of “significant” security, economic and political interest to the US.
They say that the US has a “critical concern” with the “ties or tensions” across the Taiwan Strait and that the situation has an impact on international security and cooperation between Beijing and Washington.
“For decades, Taipei has harbored fears about whether Beijing’s cooperation with Washington has occurred at the expense of Taiwan’s interests,” the report says.
The first question members of Congress are asked is how effectively the administration of US President Barack Obama is encouraging Taiwan to support US interests in peace and prosperity, including in US alliances and the cross-strait relationship.
“Is the administration effectively influencing Taiwan to play a helpful, stabilizing role in maritime territorial disputes in East Asia?” it asks.
Congress is asked to think how it could better “engage” Taiwan and the US should resume visits by Cabinet-level officials to Taiwan.
“Should the US sell more weapons and which ones, as requested by Taiwan for its self-defense?” the report asks.
And should the US “encourage” Taiwan to strengthen its self-defense, including by increasing the defense budget? it continues.
Kan and Morrison also ask if the US should sign an extradition treaty with Taiwan and favor membership or observer status for Taiwan in international organizations.
Among the other questions Congress is asked to consider:
‧ Should Washington allow more senior officials from Taiwan to visit the US and should there be expanded communication with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九)?
‧ What is Taiwan’s role in the US’ comprehensive strategy for rebalancing priorities toward the Asian-Pacific region and should US military officers be allowed to visit Taiwan?
‧ Should the US reopen Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) talks with Taiwan, negotiate a free-trade agreement and include Taiwan in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
The report says that further into Ma’s second term, Beijing could increase pressure for political and military negotiations.
“Beijing’s patience could be tested further by the sustained separate identity in Taiwan,” it says.
“Taiwan’s people retain a strong Taiwan-centric identity after over a century of mostly separation from Mainland China,” the report says.
“Taiwan’s people pragmatically have pursued prosperity, security and their democratic way of life and self-governance,” it says.
“Moderate voters generally have supported economic ties to the PRC [People’s Republic of China] amid political separation,” it concluded.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was sentenced to six months in prison, commutable to a fine, by the New Taipei District Court today for contravening the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) in a case linked to an alleged draft-dodging scheme. Wang allegedly paid NT$3.6 million (US$114,380) to an illegal group to help him evade mandatory military service through falsified medical documents, prosecutors said. He transferred the funds to Chen Chih-ming (陳志明), the alleged mastermind of a draft-evasion ring, although he lost contact with him as he was already in detention on fraud charges, they said. Chen is accused of helping a
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS