U.S. Senator Calls For Lifting Of All Restrictions On High-Level Visits From Taiwan Including The President

Today, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the “Taiwan Travel Act” – binding legislation “declaring that it should be the policy of the United States to encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels.”

The bill reads: “Since the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, relations between the United States and Taiwan have suffered from a lack of communication due to the self-imposed restrictions that the United States maintains on high-level visits with Taiwan.” It concludes that: “the United States Government should encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels.”

Former Republican candidate for president Rubio is a long-time Taiwan supporter and member of the Senate Taiwan Caucus. The Senator introduced and passed a resolution this past spring affirming the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances as the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations. When Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen transited through Miami on her way to Panama last June, Senator Rubio came to meet with President Tsai in her Miami hotel.

FAPA President Peter Chen states: ““This is an important signal from the Senate that the present approach regarding bilateral contacts and communication is outdated, and not conducive to peace and stability in the region. If the US seeks to enhance democracy in the region, it needs to be more supportive to countries that achieved democracy.”

Peter Chen concludes: “We are talking about American soil. It should be the prerogative of the United States only to decide who can visit the Nation’s Capital, not the prerogative of the communist leaders in Beijing.”

美參議員呼籲美國應對台高層互訪(包含台灣總統)解禁

今日，參議員馬可·魯比歐(Senator Marco Rubio)在參院提出了「台灣旅行法」—一項具有約束力的立法 ，聲明「促進美國與台灣之間所有層級互訪應當成為美國政策」。

這項法案提到： 「自台灣關係法(Taiwan Relations Act)的制定以來，因為美國自身法令中對於台灣高層訪美的限制 ，台灣與美國始終缺乏有效的溝通，顯著地阻礙了台美關係的發展。 」因此，作為結論，「美國政府理應當促進美國與台灣之間所有層級 的互訪。」

魯比歐參議員不但曾參投入美共和黨總統參選人初選， 更是多年來支持著台灣的盟友，他亦是「國會台灣連線」 的成員之一。在今年春天，魯比歐參議員提出並通過了一項決議案， 確立「台灣關係法」與「六項保證」作為台美關係的基石， 將台美關係往下一個里程碑推進。 當蔡英文總統在六月前往巴拿馬時， 魯比歐更曾特意至她過境時下榻的地點—邁阿密—與她會面。

台灣人公共事務會會長陳正義強調：「這是參議院釋出的重要訊息 ，代表著對於雙邊的溝通與聯繫來說，目前的模式已經過時，且不足以繼續維持區域的和平。若美國期盼能夠在該區域深化民主，那麼他 們就應該更積極地支持已經民主化的國家。」

陳正義最後說道：「這裡是美國領土，能夠決定誰可以踏上這塊土 地、參訪其首都的，應該只有美國自身；在北京的共產領導們，不應該有置喙的餘地。」

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U.S. Representatives Call For Lifting Of All Restrictions On High-Level Visits From Taiwan Including The President

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Steve Chabot (R-OH), Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Ted Poe (R-TX)  introduced the “Taiwan Travel Act” today. The Taiwan Travel Act legislation declares “that it should be the policy of the United States to encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels.”Chabot is a long-time Taiwan supporter, and founding co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus. Poe and Sherman are long-time members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The binding resolution reads: “Whereas over the past decades, United States-Taiwan relations have suffered from a lack of communication due to the self-imposed restrictions that the United States maintains on high-level visits with Taiwan.” It concludes: “Whereas it should be the policy of the United States to encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels.”

Rep. Chabot has been a long-time advocate of the lifting of all restrictions on high-level visits from and to Taiwan. He often tells the story that he had received then Taipei mayor Chen Shui-bian in his Capitol Hill office, but when Chen became president of Taiwan, Chabot and two dozen of his colleagues had to shuttle back and forth from Washington DC to New York to have dinner with President Chen.

FAPA President Peter Chen states: “Taiwan and the United States are allies who share common values and interests.  Unrestricted visits will strengthen the friendship, communication, and mutual cooperation between the two democratic nations.”

Peter Chen adds: “The introduction of this resolution and timing of introduction are both significant. With the new administration in place in Taiwan the time is now for the U.S. to enable Taiwan’s president (among others) to come to Washington DC – without restrictions.”

Peter Chen continues: “Why do we let the unelected leaders of China come to DC and give them the red carpet treatment at the White House with a 21 gun salute, while we shun the democratically elected leaders of long-time ally Taiwan? This is American soil. So it should be the prerogative of the United States ONLY to decide who can visit Washington DC, not the prerogative of the communist leaders in Beijing.”

Peter Chen concludes: “These perfunctory restrictions date from the Cold War days of the seventies. The Cold War is over. And since these restrictions were self-imposed, they can also be self-lifted!”

多位美國重量級眾議員提案呼籲行政部門應對台美高層互訪（包含台灣總統）解禁

在九月15日，夏波(Rep. Steve Chabot) 以及多位眾院重量級議員(包括 Congressmen Brad Sherman and Ted Poe) 共同提出了「台灣旅行法」決議案，該法案聲明「美國政策應當促進美國與台灣之間所有層級互訪」。夏波議員是一位長期以來鼎力支持台灣的議員，同時也是美國「國會台灣連線」的共同發起人之一。

這項重要的決議案提到： 「過去幾十年來，因為美國自身法令中對於台灣高層訪美的限制，台灣與美國始終缺乏有效的溝通，顯著地阻礙了台美關係的發展。」因此，作為結論，「美國政策理應當促進美國與台灣之間所有層級的互訪。」

夏波眾議員長年以來不斷倡議美國應對台灣高層參訪解禁。他常常說起，在前總統陳水扁還是台北市長時，他尚能夠他在自己位於華府的國會辦公室接待他；但當陳水扁成為總統之後，為了與他相見，夏波及其二十幾位同仁還得大費周章地從華盛頓奔波至紐約才能與他聚上一餐。

對此，台灣人公共事務會會長陳正義強調：「台灣與美國是享有共同價值與利益的盟友。若參訪不再受限，兩個民主國家的友誼、聯繫、及互助合作的模式都將更為堅韌。」

「這項決議案的提出及提出時間點是相當有意義的。台灣的新政府已到位，現在應該是美國允許台灣的總統（及其他人）來到華府的時刻了。」陳正義如是說道。

「當中國的獨裁領袖們來到華府，走過白宮的紅毯、享受著21槍禮炮禮遇的時候，背負著台灣—美國長久以來的堅定盟友—兩千三百萬人期待的民選領袖，卻被拒絕在門外。 這裡是美國領土，能夠決定誰可以踏上這塊土地、參訪其首都的，應該只有美國自身；在北京的共產領導們，不應該有置喙的權利。」

最後，陳正義再次強調：「這些限制最早則是從70年代的冷戰時期開始的，而今，冷戰早已結束了。況且，既然這些限制是美國自己對於自己施加的，他們當然也可以被美國自我解除！」

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