The US is not living up to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), a leading US representative said on Wednesday.
“We have enjoyed a long strategic partnership with Taiwan,” US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia Chairman Matt Salmon told a National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) conference.
“But I am concerned we are not living up to our expectations as expressed in the Taiwan Relations Act,” he added.
He said he hoped that over the next year, the US would bring clarity to the issue and better provide for the security and stability of Taiwan.
A Republican, Salmon did not give details of just how the US was failing to meet its obligations under the TRA but many members of US Congress have criticized US President Barack Obama for not selling more modern weapons systems — particularly F-16C/Ds — to the nation.
Salmon, who served as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan from 1977 to 1979, said that he had returned to Taiwan “many times” and would be leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan next month.
He said that Taiwan had a “very vibrant relationship” with the US and that the US Congress had an important role to play in that relationship, as demonstrated when it “stepped up to the plate” and passed the TRA.
“Taiwan is a very special place for me,” Salmon said.
He said that as a modern democracy and developed society, Taiwan has much to contribute to Asia and the world.
Salmon said that Taiwan would have an important election early next year, adding: “We are all watching that and are supportive of Taiwan’s democracy.”
He said that he strongly supported Taiwan’s influence in the world and hoped that it would participate “more and more” in international organizations.
“It’s crucial we have all hands on deck when it comes to world security and Taiwan is a part of that,” Salmon said.
He said that he supported Taiwan’s possible membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal in the second round of membership negotiations, which could still be more than two years away.
Earlier, Representative to the US Shen Lyu-shun (沈呂巡) told the conference — which was held in a congressional hearing room — that it was not just Taiwan that needed the TPP, but that the TPP also needed Taiwan.
“We are making our own necessary reforms to qualify and be eligible for TPP and even though we still need to make a lot a adjustments, we are actively preparing ourselves,” he said.
Asked whether China might pressure other TPP members to keep Taiwan out of the partnership, Shen said it was better for Taiwan to work on gaining membership rather than to worry about “the China factor.”
He said there were already precedents to show that China and Taiwan could work together and there was no point in fearing issues over which Taiwan has no control.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that a surge in respiratory illnesses in China has been caused by at least seven types of pathogens, and small children, elderly people and immunocompromised people should temporarily avoid unnecessary visits to China. The recent outbreak of respiratory illnesses in China is mainly in the north and among children, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said on Monday. Data released by the Chinese National Health Commission on Sunday showed that among children aged one to four, the main pathogens were influenza viruses and rhinoviruses, while among children aged five to 14, the main pathogens
A study published by online booking platform Expedia revealed searches for travel to Taipei have ballooned 2,786 percent following the lifting of COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions due to the city being a “designation dupe” for Seoul. The TikTok trend for duping — referring to substituting a designation for a more inexpensive alternative — helped propel interest in Taipei, it said in a consumer survey titled “Unpack ‘24,” which was conducted from September to October in 14 countries. Location dupes are “every bit as delightful as the tried-and-true places travelers love,” Expedia trend tracker Melanie Fish said of the year’s popular alternatives, which
INCENTIVES: The province’s ‘21 measures’ include enhanced agricultural loans for Taiwanese farmers, and rent waivers and housing subsidies for Taiwanese start-ups China’s Fujian Province on Monday began implementing 15 economic measures targeting Taiwanese in its latest bid to fan pro-Beijing sentiment ahead of the Jan. 13 elections. Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency said the policies were part of “21 measures” unveiled in September by China for Fujian’s “integrated cross-strait development demonstration zone.” The partially implemented measures, which were created with input from Beijing, include reducing the wait time for Taiwanese applying for a visa from 20 days to five days and free public transit for Taiwanese older than 65, it said. Residents of Taiwan were granted use of the “all provincial Taiwanese entrepreneur compatriot
Tokyo has requested regions in southern Japan to accommodate people evacuated from Okinawa Prefecture in case of a war in the Taiwan Strait, Kyodo news agency reported on Monday. If a conflict breaks out across the Strait, people on the Sakishima Islands, which lie between Taiwan proper and Okinawa’s main island, would have to be evacuated from the prefecture, the news agency reported. An estimated 120,000 people would need to be moved, including 110,000 citizens and 10,000 tourists, it said. Niitani Koushi, who is in charge of crisis management at the Japanese Cabinet Secretariat, visited Yamaguchi Prefecture at the southern end of Japan’s
RSS