The US National Bureau of Asian Research is urging the US Congress to “rekindle” its contacts with the Legislative Yuan in Taipei as US-China relations move into a potentially difficult period.
“More frequent exchanges between members of the US Congress and their counterparts in Taiwan would be an important demonstration of the US’ commitment to democracy in a Chinese context,” a bureau report said.
Written by former assistant US trade representative for China Affairs Charles Freeman, the report said that whatever the outcome of next year’s presidential election, the US Congress should be at the forefront of international efforts to support the “impressive evolution of democracy” in Taiwan.
“The substantial history of inter-parliamentary relations between the US Congress and the Legislative Yuan merits rekindling,” Freeman said.
A senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Freeman said that the US Congress has a crucial role to play in stabilizing the US-China relationship.
“There are few examples in history where a de facto superpower like the US faced a rising power like China and did not enter into direct conflict,” Freeman said.
“Glossing over disagreements and competing interests is thus not an option for policymakers,” he said. “China is not the Soviet Union and the US is trying neither to contain China nor begin a new Cold War.”
However, Freeman said that other Asia-Pacific nations — trying to avoid being bullied by a rising China — are drawing the US into a potentially hostile military posture with China.
Military assistance to Taiwan and other US activities on China’s periphery “smack to many in Chinese policy circles of a Cold War-style containment policy,” he said.
Freeman said that next year’s presidential election will “largely be a referendum on the policies of President Ma Jing-jeou (馬英九), which have built closer economic ties between China and Taiwan.”
He said that if, “as many analysts predict,” the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is successful in defeating the ruling Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), “that could signal a cooling of relations between Beijing and Taipei, and tensions in the region could spike.”
Freeman said Taiwan has always been the biggest challenge to US-China relations.
“If the relationship between Beijing and Taiwan sours badly, US arms sales to Taiwan will be closely scrutinized for the degree to which they embolden those who advocate de jure independence from Chinese rule,” he said.
The US Congress will “invariably” be drawn into the debate on arms sales and it will be important for policymakers to understand and weigh in on what arms package will contribute to stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Freeman said there is an element of symbolism to exactly what weapons Taipei requests and what it actually purchases if those requests are approved.
“Getting the package right will take considerable technical and diplomatic skill,” he said.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS