US senators on Tuesday introduced the Taiwan travel and tourism coordination act, which they said would bolster bilateral travel and cooperation.
The bill, proposed by US senators Marsha Blackburn and Brian Schatz, seeks to establish “robust security screenings for those traveling to the US from Asia, open new markets for American industry, and strengthen the economic partnership between the US and Taiwan,” they said in a statement.
“Travel and tourism play a crucial role in a nation’s economic security,” but Taiwan faces “pressure and coercion from the Chinese Communist Party [CCP]” in this sector, the statement said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
As Taiwan is a “vital trading partner and ally in the Indo-Pacific region,” the US must “assist our allies in stabilizing their economies and growing their national industries,” it said.
Schatz, who represents Hawaii and is a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said that the bill would help “unlock more economic opportunities for the people of Taiwan, Hawaii and our entire country.”
“The CCP’s campaign for global dominance also presents a clear threat to US interests,” Blackburn said.
The US needs to secure the homeland and the act would assist in “achieving enhanced security at foreign airports,” as it requires the federal government to study the feasibility of establishing a “preclearance” facility in Taiwan, she said.
Preclearance is the “strategic stationing of [US] Customs and Border Protection personnel at designated foreign airports to inspect travelers prior to boarding US-bound flights,” the statement said.
The measure would “enhance security, increase collaboration and streamline travel,” it said.
There is currently no preclearance facility in Asia, despite “an annual average of over 4 million travelers from the continent,” it added.
US lawmakers had pushed for Taiwan’s participation in a preclearance program in December 2021.
However, then-minister of foreign affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) in March 2022 said that “the US thought Taiwan was too safe and had to prioritize more dangerous regions.”
Separately, members of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday reintroduced a bill that asks the US Department of State to review guidelines on how the US engages with Taiwan.
US representatives Ann Wagner, Gerry Connolly and Ted Lieu reintroduced the Taiwan assurance implementation act, which passed the House in 2023, but did not make it through the Senate.
The new version of the bill would again require the state department to conduct periodic reviews of its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan and Taiwanese officials, the three lawmakers said in a separate statement.
The reviews must include explanations of how the guidance deepens and expands US-Taiwan relations, and consider that “Taiwan is a democratic partner and a free and open society that respects universal human rights and democratic values,” it said.
They should also “identify opportunities to lift any remaining self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement and articulate a plan to do so,” it said.
After severing ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1979, Washington developed guidelines to limit official interactions with Taipei, including barring senior US executive branch officials, including high-ranking military officers, from visiting the nation.
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo removed the guidelines at the end of Donald Trump’s first term as US president, but many of the restrictions were put back in place by the administration of former US president Joe Biden.
Wagner said in the statement that “the Taiwan assurance implementation act will deepen the relationship between our countries and will signal to the world that the United States will never kowtow to communist China.”
“Now more than ever, it is imperative for the United States to demonstrate its unwavering support for our friend and ally, Taiwan,” Connolly said.
“This [bill] will allow for a more unified approach in coordinating US-Taiwan relations and strengthen our essential partnership,” Lieu said in the statement.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
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