The Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) has lauded a member of the US Mississippi state government for supporting Taiwan and standing up to China.
US Representative Henry Zuber received a letter earlier this month from the Consulate-General of China in Houston warning him not to attend the inauguration of Taiwanese president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) or congratulate her.
Zuber, who has a long history of supporting Taiwan, reacted to the letter on his Facebook page, saying that he hoped China would one day enjoy the same freedom of speech and religion that Taiwan now grants its citizens.
“We oppose attempts by the Chinese government to undermine the strong relationship between the US and Taiwan, and applaud you for standing up for Taiwan’s democracy,” FAPA president Peter Chen (陳正義) said in a letter to Zuber.
“The seminal point of this US-Taiwan relationship is the principle that the future of Taiwan must be determined peacefully and with the express consent of 23 million Taiwanese. This is consistent with the fundamental values of democracy and serves to benefit American interests,” he added.
Zuber believes he was singled out by the Chinese consulate-general because he goes out of his way to support US government resolutions that praise Taiwan and because he meets with visiting Taiwanese trade and cultural delegations.
The poorly worded letter warned Zuber of “the sensitive topic of Taiwan question in order to avoid misunderstanding of negative impact.”
It also said that Tsai’s election victory would “bring many uncertainty” to cross-strait relations and pose serious challenges to peace and stability.
Requests for a response from the Chinese embassy in Washington and from the US Department of State went unanswered.
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