For Immediate Release
Washington DC – January 12, 2007
Contact: (202) 547-3686
On Occasion Of President Chen’s Transit, 15 U.S. Reps Call For Lifting Of All Restrictions On High-Level Visits
Less than a week into the new 110th Congress, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) along with 14 other Members of Congress co-signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), urging her to join the campaign to remove all restrictions on high-level visits between Taiwan and the United States. Rep. Rohrabacher sent the letter out on January 12.
The members grabbed the opportunity of President Chen’s transit through San Francisco (hometown of Speaker Pelosi) and Los Angeles (hometown of Rep. Rohrabacher) to highlight this unreasonable aspect of U.S. foreign policy.
The Representatives write: “Our self-imposed restrictions are out of concern that Beijing will take retaliation measures if we would allow such a visit. In other words, we are letting the Chinese determine this aspect of our foreign policy.”
They continue: “As recently as last April, we did roll out the red carpet for the unelected Communist leader of Beijing to the White House. We believe that if the U.S. is to be truly evenhanded in its treatment of both sides of the Taiwan Strait, then the opportunity to dialogue with democratic leaders from Taiwan should be just as important as discussions with Chinese leaders.”
Members noted that inviting the President of Taiwan to visit Washington gives Taiwan the respect and recognition it deserves as a shining beacon of democracy in Asia. Furthermore, hearing directly from Taiwanese highest-level government officials would ensure the American administration, Congress and public a balanced viewpoint on the region where American troops are on the frontline defending the U.S. national strategic interests.
FAPA President CT Lee says: “The high-level visits issue is an issue that many Members of Congress dearly care about and which receives overwhelming and bi-partisan support on Capitol Hill. It is also FAPA’s foremost issue on Capitol Hill for this new 110th Congress. It is encouraging that during this busiest time of the new Congress, Taiwan interests are already on the radar screen of Congress!”
美15位眾議員藉陳總統過境之際，呼籲全面解除台美高層互訪限制
在美國國會開議不到一周內，美眾議院已發起了支持台灣的行動。由美眾議院台灣連線主席羅拉巴克(Dana Rohrabacher, R-CA)領銜，聯合了14位其他台灣連線成員，於今晚(12日)共同致函眾議院議長斐洛西(Nancy Pelosi, D-CA)，籲請她一起支持全面解除台美高層互訪限制這個議題。
議員們主要是藉由陳總統此次過境舊金山與洛杉磯為由(加上斐洛西議長湊巧來自舊金山，羅克巴克來自洛杉磯) ，喚起各界對於這個不合理的外交政策的重視。參與聯署信函的議員包括，羅拉巴克、台灣連線另一位共同主席夏波Steve Chabot(R-OH)、Dan Burton(R-IN)、Shelley Berkley(D-NV)、Allen Boyd(D-FL)、John Culberson(R-TX)、Lincoln Diaz-Balart(R-FL)、Scott Garrett(R-NJ)、Elton Gallegly(R-CA)、Ralph Hall(R-TX)、Thaddeus McCotter(R-MI)、Mark Souder(R-IN)、以及一向友好的唐克多Tom Tancredo (R-CO)、Edolphus Towns(D-NY)、與台灣出生的吳掁偉David Wu (D-OR)。
議員們在信裡表示：「(美國)這個自我劃限的政策是因為我們擔憂一旦允許台美高層互訪，北京政府會採取相對性的報復措施。換言之，我們任由中國來決定美國在這方面的外交政策。我們相信，哪一位外國元首能夠參訪華府，並與國會及行政部會首長直接進行對話應該是我們的專屬權利。」議員們繼續表示：「去年四月，我們甚至以紅地毯歡迎北京非民選的共產政權領導人到白宮參訪。如果美國真的是公平對待海峽兩岸，那麼與民選的台灣總統對話應該跟與中國領導人對話一樣重要。」
議員在信中提到，邀請台灣總統訪問華府是給予身為亞洲民主典範的台灣應有的尊重與認可。不僅如此，直接聽取台灣最高階政府官員的意見將確保美國行政部門、國會與民眾能夠獲得平衡而且不偏頗的觀點，尤其是當我們有軍隊駐紮在當地區域，捍衛美國的國家戰略利益。
FAPA會長李青泰表示：「台美高層互訪一直是美國國會跨黨派，全面性支持的台灣議題之一；也是FAPA在新一期國會中最重要的工作重點之一。我們歡迎台灣連線成員發起這封信函，讓斐洛西議長知道她眾多同僚們對這個議題的重視，並邀請她一起加入這個行列。新國會開始通常也是國會最忙碌的時候，我們很高興看到台灣的權益已經馬上受到美國國會的關心。」
