The US House of Representatives has unanimously passed the Taiwan Travel Act, legislation that encourages visits between Taiwan and the US at all levels, including high-ranking officials.
The bill, a follow-up to the Taiwan Relations Act, was introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and others in January last year and was passed by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in October before being submitted for a vote by the full House.
The legislation still has to be passed by the US Senate to become law.
“The US and Taiwan share a commitment to democracy, rule of law and human rights... We should be supporting countries that have achieved democracy to serve as inspiration for these values across the Asia-Pacific [region],” Royce said following the passage of the bill.
The bill says that ties between Taiwan and the US have suffered from insufficient high-level communication since the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979 because of self-imposed restrictions by the US on visits by top officials to Taiwan.
“The United States government should encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels,” the bill says.
If the bill becomes law, high-level Taiwanese officials would be able to travel to the US and meet with US officials, including officials from the US Department of State, as well as conduct business in the US.
High-ranking Taiwanese officials have been barred from direct diplomatic engagement in Washington and senior US officials have not visited Taiwan since the US severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979.
US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers said that the council supports the bill.
“We believe it will improve communication between Taiwan and the United States, specifically expanding the understanding of Taiwan’s situation to decisionmakers in Washington,” he said.
The US House yesterday also passed a bill that directs the US secretary of state to help Taiwan regain observer status at the WHO and increases reporting requirements.
Royce said the passage of the two bills sent a strong message of support for Taiwan.
The WHO bill says that the 108th US Congress in 2004 passed legislation directing the US secretary of state to establish a strategy for, and to report annually to the US Congress on, efforts to obtain observer status for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly, the decisionmaking body of the WHO.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington expressed gratitude to the US Congress for the goodwill and high level of support it has shown to Taiwan during the legislative process.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old