FAPA Calls On President Obama To Stand Up For Taiwan During Visit To China

In a letter dated November 3, 2014, Mark Kao, the President of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) appealed to President Obama to “reaffirm America’s support for freedom, democracy and human rights in Taiwan” during his upcoming visit to China at the end of this week when he attends the APEC summit in Beijing.

Dr. Kao states, “We understand that in order to resolve many of the world’s major problems, the United States needs to engage China, but the fact is that China has not acted as a “responsible stakeholder”, and is causing increasing tension in the region, in particular in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and through its mishandling of the democratic developments in Hong Kong. Against this background, we emphasize that “engagement” should not be done at the expense of America’s core values: freedom, democracy and human rights, as exemplified in the nation and people of Taiwan.”

Dr. Kao concludes: “In the meantime, Taiwan has transformed itself into a vibrant democracy, and as we saw with the Sunflower Movement this Spring, the people of Taiwan don’t want to be pushed into an unwelcome embrace with China.

We firmly believe it is a core US interest to help protect and nurture this young democracy. We therefore urge you to move towards a “One Taiwan, One China” policy that warmly welcomes Taiwan as a full and equal member of the international community. That would indeed be a change the American people can believe in.”

台灣人公共事務會呼籲歐巴馬總統於訪中期間聲援台灣

台灣人公共事務會會長高龍榮博士，於2014年11月3日致函美國總統歐巴馬，呼籲歐巴馬總統於本週末赴北京參加「亞洲太平洋經濟合作會議」期間「重申美國對台灣自由、民主、人權的支持」。

高博士表示：「我們知道為了解決國際間的許多問題，美國有必要與中國打交道，但事實上，仔細觀察中國在鄰近區域，特別是南海海域與東海海域所製造的緊張關係，以及中國政府處理香港民主運動的方式來看，中國並非一個『負責任的利害關係者』。有鑑於此，我們要強調台灣的自由、民主、人權，同時也是美國的核心價值，不能成為與中國『互動』的代價，」

高博士總結道：「台灣已經轉型成一個有活力的民主社會。今年春天的『太陽花學運』清楚地讓我們看到，台灣人不願意被推向中國的懷抱。我們堅信保護與幫助這個年輕的民主國家符合美國的核心利益。因此，我們呼籲您採用『一個中國、一個台灣』政策，接納台灣成為國際社會的平等份子。這會成為一個美國人民相信的『改變』。」

Letter to President Obama

President Barack H. Obama                                         November 3, 2014
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As you prepare to visit China, we, as a Taiwanese-American grassroots organization with 54 chapters across the United States, appeal to you to reaffirm America’s support for freedom, democracy and human rights in Taiwan.

During the past years, the Beijing government has called on the United States and other international partners to respect China’s so-called “territorial integrity” and “core interests.” We strongly urge you to remind the Chinese leaders, in response, that it is a core interest of the United States that the future of Taiwan be resolved peacefully and with the express consent of the people of Taiwan.

We understand that in order to resolve many of the world’s major problems, the United States needs to engage China, but the fact is that China has not acted as a “responsible stakeholder”, and is causing increasing tension in the region, in particular in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and through its mishandling of the democratic developments in Hong Kong. Against this background, we emphasize that “engagement” should not be done at the expense of America’s core values: freedom, democracy and human rights, as exemplified in the nation and people of Taiwan.

We appeal to you that, in your meetings with the Chinese leaders, you insist that they dismantle the 1,600 missiles targeted at Taiwan and renounce the threat of use of force against Taiwan. To safeguard Taiwan and its future, we need to more fully embrace freedom, democracy and human rights in that country. We believe this is the best way to maintain peace and stability in East Asia and is in the best interests of the United States.

Mr. President, in your 2008 election campaign you promised us “change we can believe in.” In your acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention in Denver, you stated: “Enough to the politics of the past.” We hope this applies to US policies towards Taiwan. For the past four decades, the US has clung to an outdated “One China” policy which has left Taiwan dangling in international isolation.

In the meantime, Taiwan has transformed itself into a vibrant democracy, and as we saw with the Sunflower Movement this Spring, the people of Taiwan don’t want to be pushed into an unwelcome embrace with China. We firmly believe it is a core US interest to help protect and nurture this young democracy. We therefore urge you to move towards a “One Taiwan, One China” policy that warmly welcomes Taiwan as a full and equal member of the international community. That would indeed be a change the American people can believe in.

Thank you for your attention. We wish you a safe journey.

Sincerely yours,

Photo Credit: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

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Seventeen Taiwanese-American Organizations Write President Obama On Hu Jintao Visit:

Taiwan is a free and democratic nation, and is not part of China

In a joint letter to president Obama dated January 12th, the leaders of seventeen Taiwanese American organizations urged the President to support a free and democratic Taiwan. In the letter, the organizations state: “The U.S. needs to make it unambiguously clear that the people of Taiwan have the right to determine their own future, free from any outside interference.”

The organizations called upon President Obama to impress upon the Chinese “to dismantle its 1,600 missiles targeted at Taiwan and renounce the threat or use of force against Taiwan,” and “that it is essential to end Taiwan’s international political isolation.”

The organizations concluded: “Taiwan is a peace-loving country.  It is able and willing to carry out United Nations Charter obligations.  Taiwan deserves an equal place in the international family of nations, and its people should be fully represented in international organizations such as the U.N. and the World Health Organization.”

The President of FAPA, the main organizer of the rally and initiator of the joint letter, Bob Yang Ph.D., stated: “We want to emphasize that Taiwan was never part of the PRC, and that the PRC has no basis whatsoever to claim sovereignty over Taiwan.  Taiwan did not “split off” from China after World War II, but was occupied by the losing side of the Chinese Civil War, the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang.”

Professor Yang continued: “We also urge the US government to stand by the principles of human rights, democracy and self-determination, and work towards normalization of relations between a free and democratic Taiwan and the rest of the international community.”

Professor Yang concluded: “We believe it is clearly a core U.S. interest to protect and nurture this young democracy. We therefore implore upon President Obama to adopt a “One Taiwan, One China” policy that recognizes Taiwan as being separate and distinct from China.”

In the meantime, the Taiwanese-American community is planning to join protests in front of the White House against China’s repression in Tibet and East Turkestan, and its threats and intimidation against Taiwan. The main message will be: “Taiwan is a free and democratic nation, and is not part of China.”

Letter to President Obama

Dear President Obama:

As you prepare to welcome China’s President Hu Jintao to Washington, we, the undersigned representatives of Taiwanese-American organizations, appeal to you to reaffirm America’s support for freedom, democracy and human rights in Taiwan.

We understand that in order to solve many of the world’s major problems, the United States needs to engage China.  However, such engagement should not be done at the expense of America’s core values-freedom, democracy and human rights, as embodied in the nation of Taiwan.

In November 2009, during your visit to Beijing, Chinese leaders asserted that Taiwan was one of China’s so-called “”core interests.””  We ask you to remind Mr. Hu that it is a national interest of the United States that the future of Taiwan be resolved peacefully and with the express consent of the people of Taiwan.

We also request that you refrain from proffering U.S. respect for China’s “”sovereignty and territorial integrity”” as China lays specious claim over Taiwan.  The U.S. needs to make it unambiguously clear that the people of Taiwan have the right to determine their own future, free from any outside interference.

We believe that it is in the best interest of the United States to take a clear position on the following issues as well.

We ask you to prod China to dismantle its 1,600 missiles targeted at Taiwan and renounce the threat or use of force against Taiwan. To safeguard Taiwan is to embrace freedom, democracy and human rights. This is the best way to maintain peace and stability in Asia and consistent with the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. In so doing, America will be looked upon with respect and trust by the multitude of nations in that part of the world.

We also implore you to impress upon the Chinese delegation that it is essential to end Taiwan’s international political isolation.  Taiwan is a peace-loving country.  It is able and willing to carry out United Nations Charter obligations.  Taiwan deserves an equal place in the international family of nations, and its people should be fully represented in international organizations such as the U.N. and the World Health Organization.

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely yours,
1.    Kang-Hou Wang, President
Dr. Kang-Lu Wang Memorial Foundation

2.    Terri Giles, Executive Director
Formosa Foundation

3.    Henry Lee, President
Formosan Association for Human Rights

4.    Bob I. Yang, President
Formosan Association for Public Affairs

5.    John Hsu, President
Friends of Taiwan, Inc.

6.    Rev. Shang Nan Tsai, Chairman
National Taiwanese Presbyterian Council (U.S.A.)

7.    James Tu, President
North America Taiwanese Engineers’ Association

8.    Shyu-tu Lee, President
North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association

9.    Leanne Lian-Yuan Chiou, President
North America Taiwanese Women’s Association

10.    Norman Chiou, President
North American Taiwanese Medical Association

11.    Ben Liu, President
Professor Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation

12.    Chanchi Lee, President
Taiwan Hakka Association for Public Affairs in North America

13.    Mike Kwan, President
Taiwanese Hakka Associations of America

14.    Chung-nan Shih, President
Taiwanese Association of America

15.    Susan Chang, President
World Federation of Taiwanese Associations

16.    Susan Chang, Coordinator
World Taiwanese Congress

17.    James S. Chen, Chairman
World United Formosans for Independence-U.S.A.

Photo Credit: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

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U.S. Representatives Call Upon Obama Administration To Work Towards Free Trade Agreement With Taiwan

Last night, May 6, 2010, Reps. Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and John Culberson (R-TX) introduced House Concurrent Resolution 276 calling upon the Obama Administration to work towards a U.S. Taiwan Free Trade agreement. Reps. Andrews and Garrett recently spoke at a Capitol Hill briefing on April 28 to revive the campaign for a U.S.-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement.

The resolution states that President Obama should make the conclusion of a U.S.-Taiwan free trade agreement a top priority, and to instruct the USTR to expedite negotiations on a free trade agreement between the U.S. and Taiwan.

During the April 28 briefing to Congress, Rep. Andrews expressed his support for such an endeavor. He stated: “for both economic and strategic reasons, the time has arrived for a Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Taiwan.”

Congressman Andrews added: “But the strategic advantage [of a U.S.-Taiwan FTA] is even more self-evident, in my view. It is an affirmation of an important sense that the United States regards the people of Taiwan, functionally as a free, sovereign and independent people. You don’t make free trade agreements with someone else’s state or territory.  You make free trade agreements with sovereign people. That is a hugely important symbol – which leads to my second point. The so–called ‘Economic Framework’ that’s being discussed between the PRC and Taiwan, in my view, is more of a ‘Cage’ than a ‘Framework.’  I think it reflects a negotiation from the point of a disadvantage. Now I believe any duly elected government has the autonomy to negotiate any agreement it sees fit for its people, but that presupposes a negotiation that is free of coercion and is conducted in a truly bilateral, equivalent context. And that is most assuredly not the case.”

FAPA President Bob Yang, PhD says: “A U.S.-Taiwan FTA will free Taiwan from China’s economic stranglehold which is, in fact, a potent nonmilitary instrument of influence that China is forging to affect political choices in Taiwan and to achieve the annexation of Taiwan.”

Dr. Yang concludes: “If and when the U.S. exercises its leadership to ink an FTA with Taiwan, other like-minded democracies will undoubtedly follow suit.  This would permit Taiwan to broaden its trade and other international relations, thereby giving Taiwan an opportunity to escape the death embrace of China.”

美眾議員呼籲歐巴馬政府推動台美自由貿易協定

美國紐澤西州民主黨眾議員安德魯斯(Robert Andrews, D-NJ)以及共和黨議員蓋瑞特(Scott Garrett, R-NJ)與德州共和黨克柏森議員(John Culberson, R-TX)於昨晚(6日)提出第276號決議案，呼籲歐巴馬政府推動台美自由貿易協定。安德魯斯及蓋瑞特議員日前雙雙參與一場國會簡報，重新喚起各界對台美自由貿易協定這項議題的支持。

這項決議案表示：「歐巴馬總統應該將台美自由貿易協定列為優先順序，並指示美國貿易代表處加速與台灣方面的相關談判。」

在這場於4月28日假美國國會舉行的簡報中，安德魯斯議員公開發表他對這項議題的支持。他在簡報中說：「無論是經濟或戰略考量，現在正是美國與台灣簽署自由貿易協定的時刻。」

安德魯斯議員又說：「我認為這個(美台自由貿易協定)帶來的戰略優點是很明顯的。這在強化一項很重要的美國認知，也就是美國視台灣人民在運作上是自由、自主與獨立的人民。你不會和其他國家的一州或是領土來簽署自由貿易協定，而是與自主獨立的人民簽訂自由貿易協定。這有著極為重要的象徵性－也是我接下來要提到的第二點。目前台灣和中國進行討論中所謂的『經濟架構』(ECFA)，依我看來，與其說是個架構，其實更像是個牢籠。我認為這反應出一個從弱勢出發的談判。當然我相信任何一個正當民選的政府有自主權來進行他們認為對人民有利的談判，但前提是這樣的談判必須在不受外界脅迫，並且在真正雙邊、對等的情況下所舉行。目前很明顯不是這樣的情形。」

FAPA會長楊英育表示：「台美自由貿易協定將讓台灣有機會跳出中國的經濟枷鎖，這個枷鎖事實上是中國一個強而有力的非軍事工具，來影響台灣的政治選項以達到併吞台灣的目的。」

楊會長最後表示：「如果當美國率先與台灣簽署自由貿易協定時，其他意識型態相似的民主國家無疑會接著跟進。這將使台灣能夠擴大貿易和其他國際關係，因而讓台灣有一個機會跳脫出中國的死亡擁抱。」

Photo Credit: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

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