Bipartisan legislation strongly supporting the strengthening of US-Taiwan relations has been introduced into the US Congress.
US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the former chairwoman of the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, proposed the Taiwan policy act of 2013 on Friday.
“Taiwan is a vital ally of the US and should be treated as such,” Ros-Lehtinen said as she introduced the bill.
Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican, introduced an earlier version of the bill in the last Congress, but election-year politics stopped it from coming to a vote.
The new bill seeks to “further diplomatic relations with Taiwan” and allow Taiwanese leaders to meet with US officials of all executive government branches.
Current US laws severely restrict who Taiwanese politicians can see and what they are allowed to do when on US soil.
The new bill also calls for the signing of a comprehensive extradition agreement with Taiwan and authorizes the sale of F-16C/D aircraft to the Taiwanese military.
In addition, it calls for the transfer of decommissioned guided missile frigates to Taiwan.
Congressional Taiwan Caucus co-chairs Albio Sires, Mario Diaz-Balart, Gerald Connolly and John Carter are co-sponsoring the bill.
“With the growing antagonism of the Kim [Jong-un] regime in North Korea and the ever-expanding territorial ambitions of China, our alliance with the democratic nation of Taiwan is even more important,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “Taiwanese leaders must be allowed to meet with US officials in all executive branches and have full access and recognition just like any other ally, no exceptions.”
Alongside the Taiwan bill, Ros-Lehtinen also introduced the Egypt accountability and democracy promotion act to crack down on extremist groups in Egypt and support human rights and freedoms in that country.
“The challenges facing our nation and allies around the world are growing,” she said. “In order to meet these challenges head on, concrete action must be taken.”
She said that the bills were aimed at meeting new challenges facing US interests throughout the world.
“From supporting our vital ally, Taiwan, to confronting the [President Mohamed] Morsi regime in Egypt, we must act responsibly and prioritize our foreign policy objectives,” she said.
The Taiwan policy act of 2013 would not amend or supersede the Taiwan Relations Act.
The US House of Representatives yesterday passed the PROTECT Taiwan Act, which stipulates that Washington would exclude China from participating in major global financial organizations if its actions directly threaten Taiwan’s security. The bill, proposed by Republican US Representative Frank Lucas, passed with 395 votes in favor and two against. It stipulates that if China’s actions pose any threat to Taiwan’s security, economic or social systems, the US would, “to the maximum extent practicable,” exclude China from international financial institutions, including the G20, the Bank for International Settlements and the Financial Stability Board. The bill makes it clear that China
Garbage and recycling schedules are to vary from Saturday through Sunday next week over the Lunar New Year holiday period. The following collection information is from the governments of the six special municipalities. Taipei Regular service: Sunday to Monday next week. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Extra service: Friday next week. Regular service resumes: Saturday next week. New Taipei City Extra service: Sunday. Adjusted collection time: Monday next week — garbage collection is to begin in the morning and end at 6pm. No service: Tuesday to Thursday next week. Regular service resumes: Friday next week. Note: Garbage can be dropped off at 70
A KFC branch in Kaohsiung may be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million (US$1,907 and US$6.37 million), after a customer yesterday found an entire AAA battery inside an egg tart, the Kaohsiung Department of Health said today. The customer was about to microwave a box of egg tarts they had bought at the fast-food restaurant’s Nanzih (楠梓) branch when they checked the bottom and saw a dark shadow inside one of them, they said in a Threads post. The customer filmed themself taking the egg tart apart to reveal an entire AAA battery inside, which apparently showed signs of damage. Surveillance footage showed
GROUP EFFORT: The number of inbound travelers rose 11 to 12 percent last month, with a significant increase in tourists from Europe and North America, an official said The government aims to attract 9.4 million visitors this year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday, citing last year’s success in diversifying tourist markets. Taiwan last year drew about 8.57 million international arrivals, 72.3 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels. By contrast, the nation had about 18.94 million outbound tourists last year, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 level of 17.1 million. The estimated tourism revenue deficit was about NT$700.9 billion (US$22.22 billion). Taoyuan International Airport Corp expects more than 160,000 passengers to pass through the nation’s largest airport daily during the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Saturday. As of Jan. 30, the nation’s average hotel occupancy rate
RSS