U.S. Congressman Introduces Legislation Calling for US-Taiwan Diplomatic Relations and End to One China Policy

On Wednesday, June 20, United States Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), introduced a resolution (H.Con.Res.124) in the U.S. House of Representatives, calling on the United States government to resume diplomatic relations with Taiwan and to abolish the U.S. One China Policy.

Rep. Rohrabacher is a longtime supporter of Taiwan and a founding co-chairman of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus.

The resolution concludes that:

“(1) the President should abandon the fundamentally flawed ‘‘One China Policy’’ in favor of a more realistic ‘‘One China, One Taiwan Policy’’ that recognizes Taiwan as a sovereign and independent country, separate from the Communist regime in China;

(2) the President should begin the process of resuming normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan;

(3) the President, the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations, and other relevant United States officials should aggressively support Taiwan’s full participation in the United Nations and any other international organization of which the United States is a member, and for which statehood is a requirement for membership.”

Of the five countries in the world that the United States government currently does not diplomatically recognize (Syria, Iran, North Korea, Bhutan and Taiwan), Taiwan is the only full-fledged democracy.

Similar resolutions were introduced in 2005 by former Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), on 2007 and in 2009 by former Congressman John Linder (R-GA), and in 2012 and 2013 by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX).

Furthermore, the resolution affirms that the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances form the cornerstone of United States-Taiwan relations and establishes “the reality that Taiwan has functioned as an independent and sovereign country for over half a century.”

In a Commentary piece in the Wall Street Journal of January 17, 2016, current National Security Adviser John Bolton wrote: “The new U.S. administration could start with receiving Taiwanese diplomats officially at the State Department; upgrading the status of U.S. representation in Taipei from a private “institute” to an official diplomatic mission; inviting Taiwan’s president to travel officially to America; allowing the most senior U.S. officials to visit Taiwan to transact government business; and ultimately restoring full diplomatic recognition.”

FAPA President Mike Kuo states: “The Taiwanese people brought about their momentous transition to democracy some thirty years ago, but US policy did not adapt to that new reality. By normalizing relations with Taiwan, the United States would set a shining example for other countries to emulate.”

Dr. Kuo concludes: “The resolution also reflects the growing sense within the U.S. Congress that the United States “One China Policy” is more and more untenable, as it is out of touch with the unmistakable reality that Taiwan is a free and democratic nation that deserves to be accepted as a full and equal member in the international community. The time is now to move towards a more realistic and practical ‘One China, One Taiwan’ policy.”