US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi on Monday said he plans to soon reintroduce a bill to support international development projects in countries with official or strong unofficial relations with Taiwan.
The Taiwan Allies Fund Act is to be introduced “in the very near future,” Krishnamoorthi told an online discussion on “how Beijing lures Taiwan’s diplomatic partners into switching recognition” hosted by the Atlantic Council.
Krishnamoorthi is a member of the US House of Representatives Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the US and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Photo: Reuters
“The US has to do everything in its power to protect Taiwan’s rightful international place. Taiwan is not just a valuable international partner, it’s a beacon of freedom and democracy, too,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Through economic coercion and “opaque agreements,” China has pressured countries to switch diplomatic ties away from Taiwan, Krishnamoorthi said, citing countries such as the Solomon Islands and Nauru.
Nauru, which switched diplomatic recognition away from Taiwan following last year’s presidential election, demonstrates how China “punishes” Taiwan for its democratic choices, Krishnamoorthi said.
“This cannot continue to happen until those who recognize Taiwan become zero, which is what Beijing wants,” he said.
The difference between the US and Beijing is that while China seeks to extract political gains, the US works to promote “development, progress and opportunities” around the world, he said.
The goal of the Taiwan Allies Fund Act is to support projects that deepen international security and include Taiwan in sustainable development efforts, he said.
The bill would authorize aid to countries with official or strong unofficial relations with Taiwan, he added.
“This bill pushes against the CCP’s illegitimate claim that Taiwan cannot play a role in the international community,” he said.
The bill would enable sovereign nations to make decisions free from coercion, he said, adding that it would be a bipartisan and bicameral bill.
Last year, Krishnamoorthi and other members of the committee proposed the bill to provide foreign assistance to countries that advance Taiwan’s participation in international bodies, counter China’s influence and propaganda, or diversify supply chains away from China.
That bill would have allowed eligible countries to receive up to US$5 million annually from a broader Countering the People’s Republic of China Malign Influence Fund.
Krishnamoorthi also slammed the administration of US President Donald Trump for cutting foreign aid and dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID), calling it “outrageous, dangerous and self-sabotage.”
Given that the CCP is increasingly active in “extracting political gains from the developing world,” the US also needs to be “stepping up our global position, not kneecapping ourselves,” he said.
While Krishnamoorthi did not reveal details of the new legislation, the version of the bill he cosponsored last year would have authorized US$120 million in funds over three years to be distributed by the US Department of State and USAID.
Reuters last year reported that a Taiwan government official said that Beijing had offered Nauru US$100 million per year to cut its ties with Taiwan.
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