US Senator Rick Scott on Wednesday urged the White House to “quickly and publicly” invite Taiwan to its Summit for Democracy in December as a show of its commitment to freedom and to its deserving partner.
With the summit about one month away, the Republican senator emphasized the urgency of inviting “one of our most valued and strategic partners in the Asia-Pacific [region].”
“[Taiwan] not only deserves a seat at the table during the December summit, but merits our full and unapologetic support in the face of Beijing’s continued attempts at intimidation and threats of takeover,” Scott wrote in a letter addressed directly to US President Joe Biden.
Photo: AFP
The White House in August said it would remotely hold the first of its two Summit for Democracy events on Dec. 9 and 10 to discuss democratic renewal and threats to democracy with global leaders in the public and private sectors.
On Tuesday last week, Foreign Policy reported a list of more than 100 leaders expected to get an invite that week. While the list included some controversial choices from nations exhibiting questionable democratic records such as Poland and the Philippines, Taiwan was not included.
Noting multiple pledges of support for Taiwan among US administration officials, including from Biden himself last week when he committed to defending Taiwan in the event of an attack, Scott said that he “can’t imagine” why Taiwan has not received an invitation.
Meanwhile, “Communist China has made its mission of world domination incredibly clear” with its rapid military buildup and aggression toward Taiwan, he added.
In response to these threats, Scott called on Biden to support the passage of his “Taiwan invasion prevention act” and do away with the policy of “strategic ambiguity.”
He also urged the White House to quickly invite Taiwan to both summits as a show of commitment to freedom and democracy, and as a “stinging rebuke” to Chinese aggression.
LETTER TO G20
Also on Wednesday, two US lawmakers sent a letter to the G20 chair calling for Taiwan’s participation in the two-day G20 summit to begin tomorrow in Rome.
In the letter to the current G20 chair, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry highlighted the important role that Taiwan plays in the world economy, making its participation in the summit a “matter of global interest.”
As Asia’s seventh-largest economy, the 19th-largest global economy by purchasing power parity and fifth-largest holder of foreign reserves, engaging with Taiwan is “a necessity, not an option,” they wrote.
The Republican lawmakers also said that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co plays a crucial role in providing chips, which are only becoming more important under a supply chain crisis.
“Time and again, the government of Taiwan has demonstrated it’s willing to responsibly shoulder the burdens that accompany its elevated position as a major world economy,” they added.
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