Beijing might increase pressure for political and military negotiations with Taiwan, a report by the US Congressional Research Service said.
The report — an overview of US-Taiwan policy issues — is to be used as a guide for both houses of the US Congress when it comes into power next month.
According to the report, pressure from Beijing can be expected “further into” President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) second and final term.
While the report was actually written by Asian security affairs expert Shirley Kan and Asian trade and finance expert Wayne Morrison before the last months nine-in-one elections, it reflects perceived political changes in Taiwan.
“Beijing’s patience could be tested further by the sustained separate identity in Taiwan,” the report said.
“Despite the pronouncements of a ‘one China’ by leaders in Taipei and Beijing, and closer cross-strait ties, Taiwan’s people retain a strong Taiwan-centric identity over a century of mostly separation from mainland China,” the report said.
Still, it points out that Taiwan has “pragmatically pursued” prosperity, security, a democratic way of life and self-governance.
“Moderate voters generally have supported economic ties to the PRC amid political separation,” the report said.
It says the US could work with Taiwan to increase cooperation on international security.
“Taiwan could boost its defense and foreign aid spending, counter cyberthreats, and improve counter-espionage amid cases in Taiwan of alleged spying for Beijing,” the report said.
It added: “Taiwan has the option to increase military or civilian missions in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.”
While Taiwan has been of significant security, economic and political interest to the US, it has “posed challenges” to US engagement with China.
“For decades, Taipei has harbored fears about whether Beijing’s cooperation with Washington has occurred at the expense of Taiwan’s interests,” the report said.
It highlights 15 separate points of policy that the new Congress should consider.
The report asks: “How might Congress exercise its roles in US policy on Taiwan? How might Congress ensure momentum in strengthening US-Taiwan cooperation or ties?”
Members of Congress are asked to consider if the administration of US President Barack Obama is sticking to the Taiwan Relations Act in selling weapons to enable Taiwan to maintain sufficient self-defense capability.
“How effectively is the administration encouraging Taiwan to strengthen its self-defense, including by increasing the defense budget?” the report asked.
Congress is also asked to consider if US policy should allow or encourage more senior Taiwanese officials to visit the US, and encourage expanded communication with Taiwan’s president.
Significantly, the report asks Congress if the US should negotiate a free-trade agreement or bilateral investment agreement and support Taiwan’s efforts to join regional trade blocs such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday voiced dissatisfaction with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), whose latest meeting, concluded earlier the same day, appeared not to address the country’s application. In a statement, MOFA said the CPTPP commission had "once again failed to fairly process Taiwan’s application," attributing the inaction to the bloc’s "succumbing to political pressure," without elaborating. Taiwan submitted its CPTPP application under the name "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" on Sept. 22, 2021 -- less than a week after China
THE GOOD WORD: More than 100 colleges on both sides of the Pacific will work together to bring students to Taiwan so they can learn Mandarin where it is spoken A total of 102 universities from Taiwan and the US are collaborating in a push to promote Taiwan as the first-choice place to learn Mandarin, with seven Mandarin learning centers stood up in the US to train and support teachers, the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) said. At the annual convention of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages held over the weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana, a Taiwan Pavilion was jointly run by 17 representative teams from the FICHET, the Overseas Community Affairs Council, the Steering Committee for the Test of Proficiency-Huayu, the
A home-style restaurant opened by a Taiwanese woman in Quezon City in Metro Manila has been featured in the first-ever Michelin Guide honoring exceptional restaurants in the Philippines. The restaurant, Fong Wei Wu (豐味屋), was one of 74 eateries to receive a “Michelin Selected” honor in the guide, while one restaurant received two Michelin stars, eight received one star and 25 were awarded a “Bib Gourmand.” The guide, which was limited to restaurants in Metro Manila and Cebu, was published on Oct. 30. In an interview, Feng Wei Wu’s owner and chef, Linda, said that as a restaurateur in her 60s, receiving an
MORE RETALIATION: China would adopt a long-term pressure strategy to prevent other countries or future prime ministers following in Sanae Takaichi’s steps, an academic said Taiwan should maintain communications with Japan, as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is to lead a revision of security documents, Taiwanese academics said yesterday. Tensions have risen between Japan and China over remarks by Takaichi earlier this month that the use of force against Taiwan would constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. Prospect Foundation president Lai I-chung (賴怡忠) yesterday said Takaichi’s stance regarding Taiwan is the same as past Japanese prime ministers, but her position is clearer than that of her predecessors Fumio Kishida and Shigeru Ishiba. Although Japan views a “Taiwan contingency” as a “survival-threatening situation,” which would allow its military to
RSS