Members of the US Congress celebrated the 37th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act this week, issuing statements proclaiming that Taiwan and the US shared a “continuing and growing” partnership.
US Senator Jim Inhofe said the importance of the relationship could not be overstated.
He said the act had played an indispensable role in shaping US foreign policy and strategy in Asia.
“Taiwan is one of the strongest democratic and economic partners of the US in the Asia-Pacific region and serves as a model of freedom,” Inhofe said.
US Senator Robert Menendez said the act is the foundation on which bilateral security, economic and trade relations would “continue to grow and flourish.”
“The US will continue to support Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and economic prosperity — and the longstanding friendship with the people of Taiwan,” he said.
The four co-chairpersons of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus in the US House of Representatives — Gerry Connolly, Mario Diaz-Balart, Albio Sires and Gregg Harper — issued a joint statement saying that the US had a “steadfast commitment” to Taiwan.
They added that this was also the 14th anniversary of the founding of the Taiwan Caucus, the largest country caucus in the House of Representatives.
The caucus started with 85 members and now has 205, they said.
“This growth reflects the broad and stable consensus in the US Congress regarding the importance of Taiwan,” the four lawmakers said.
“We look forward to continued advocacy on behalf of Taiwan’s long-term security, its democratic system and its participation in international organizations and trade forums,” they said.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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