FAPA Calls on President Biden and Secretary Blinken to Meet with Taiwan’s President Lai
In a letter on November 22, U.S. Reps. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Andy Ogles (R-TN), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Scott Perry (R-PA), and Lance Gooden (R-TX) called on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to avoid imposing any conditions on Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te should he make a stopover in U.S. territory during his upcoming trip to the South Pacific.
The representatives also urged U.S. President Joe Biden to “consider meeting personally with Mr. Lai during his visit.”
President Lai is scheduled to travel to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau between November 30 and December 6 — his first overseas visit since assuming office on May 20. Lai will make stopovers in Hawaii and Guam during his seven-day trip.
The five U.S. lawmakers urged Secretary Blinken to “refrain from imposing arbitrary conditions” on President Lai when he transits through the U.S., such as restricting his interactions with journalists or limiting his ability to conduct public engagements.
FAPA President Su-Mei Kao reacts: “We fully support the letter sent by the five Congressmen and strongly urge President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet with Taiwan’s democratically elected President Lai Ching-te, whether in person or virtually. Doing so would align with the intent of the Taiwan Travel Act, enacted in 2018, which made it U.S. policy to encourage high-level exchanges with Taiwan.”
Dr. Kao emphasizes: “Amid China’s escalating provocations in the Taiwan Strait and continued efforts to isolate Taiwan internationally, failing to enhance U.S. engagement with Taiwan risks emboldening Chinese aggression and jeopardizing critical mutual interests between the U.S. and Taiwan.”
Dr. Kao concludes: “High-level meetings with President Lai would send a clear message that authoritarian China cannot dictate the terms of U.S. partnership and alliance with democratic Taiwan. Moreover, such actions would reaffirm the United States’ steadfast commitment to Taiwan’s democracy and foster further normalization of U.S. relations with this vital Indo-Pacific partner.”
References:
[1] Focus Taiwan
[2] Taipei Times
[3] FAPA
UK House Condemns China’s Distortion of UN Resolution 2758
The United Kingdom (UK) House of Commons on November 28 unanimously voted to condemn China’s mischaracterization of UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to undermine Taiwan’s political status and its participation in international organizations, including the United Nations (UN).
The motion followed a debate in the chamber on Taiwan’s international status.
The UK House is the fifth legislative body to act on an initiative by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) to condemn China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758, following the Australian Senate, the Dutch House, the European Parliament, and the Canadian House.
The UK House said that UN Resolution 2758, passed on October 25, 1971, does not mention Taiwan and, therefore, does not define Taiwan’s political status or establish the People’s Republic of China (PRC) sovereignty over Taiwan.
The chamber urged the UK government to clarify its position that UN Resolution 2758 does not establish the “One China Principle” as a matter of international law and to state clearly that nothing in law prevents the participation of Taiwan in international organizations.
Speaking on behalf of the UK government following the debate, Labour MP Catherine West, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific, said the UN Resolution 2758 “made no separate or additional determination on the status of Taiwan” and “should not . . . be used to preclude Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN or the wider international system.”
“The UK opposes any [PRC] attempt to broaden the interpretation of resolution 2758 to rewrite history,” West added.
FAPA President Su-Mei Kao responded: “We urge the U.S. Senate to follow suit and swiftly pass the Taiwan International Solidarity Act (S.2995) to counter China’s mischaracterization of UN Resolution 2758 and its baseless claim of sovereignty over Taiwan.”
Dr. Kao added: “Preserving democratic Taiwan’s ‘true status quo’ as an independent and sovereign country is crucial for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific region. This aligns with the shared interests of Taiwan, the United States, and the global community.”
References:
[1] Taipei Times
[2] Focus Taiwan
President Lai Meets with Visiting U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on November 26 said his administration would continue to enhance Taiwan’s defense capabilities and demonstrate its determination to safeguard the country during a meeting with visiting U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
President Lai thanked Senator Merkley for his long-term support of Taiwan, highlighting the Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act (S.3110), co-sponsored by Merkley and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), whom President-elect Donald Trump had nominated to serve as the next secretary of state.
Lai also referenced a resolution (S.Res.633) introduced by Merkley and Rubio that reaffirms the U.S. commitment to Taiwan and commemorates the 45th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act.
He emphasized that Taiwan is committed to strengthening security cooperation with the United States while deepening bilateral economic and trade ties to further contribute to regional peace.
Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capability and advance military procurement, Lai noted, adding that Taiwan’s annual national defense budget has increased by 80 percent over the past eight years.
In response, Senator Merkley lauded Taiwan’s democracy and pledged to promote bilateral collaboration in areas spanning military security to climate change and other global issues. He also reaffirmed U.S. Congressional support for Taiwan during the U.S. administration transition.
Following the meeting, Merkley and his delegation were received by Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, who expressed anticipation of continued robust Taiwan-U.S. relations.
