Six U.S. Senators introduce bill to allow Taiwanese officials to visit


nsnbc : Six U.S. Senators headed by Republican Marco Rubio from Florida, are proposing for the introduction of the Taiwan Travel Act. The new bill would encourage visits between U.S. and Taiwan officials on all levels.

Tsai Ing-wen_Marco Rubia_Florida Airport_USA_2016The bill was tables on Friday, by senators Marco Rubi who was joined by fellow Republicans Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and Cory Gardner of Colorado, and Democrats Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Gary Peters of Michigan.

The draft bill aims to lift restrictions placed on visits between U.S. and Taiwanese government officials from all levels, and urges the U.S. government to encourage such visits, instead of placing limitations.

The bill suggests that Washington should allow U.S. officials, including Cabinet-level national security officials, general officers and other executive branch officials, to travel to the nation and meet their Taiwanese counterparts.

The bill also proposes for high-level Taiwanese officials to be granted entry into the U.S. under conditions that demonstrate appropriate respect for the dignity of such officials and to meet with U.S. officials, including from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense and other Cabinet-level agencies.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, for example, while visiting Latin American countries in 2016 year and traveling via the USA, had to meet U.S. senators “in transit” at the airport – and still the government of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing protested about the alleged violation of the “One China principle”.

Marco Rubio said “..The legislation is important especially as China attempts to block Taiwan’s participation in international organizations. .. America should keep strengthening our relationship with Taiwan’s vibrant democracy, including by encouraging high-level visits between Taiwanese and American officials in our respective capitals.”

Elephants not welcome in the One-China-Shop, not even if his name is Trump.

Elephants not welcome in the One-China-Shop, not even if his name is Trump.

A member of the U.S. Senate Taiwan Caucus, Rubio met with President Tsai Ing-wen in Miami on June 24, 2016 during Tsai’s first overseas trip after being inaugurated on May 20. This is Senator Rubio’s second attempt to introduce the bill. Previously he tried to introduce the act to the Senate in September 2016, but it failed to pass before the 114th Congress ended on Jan. 3, 2017.

U.S. Representative Steve Chabot initiated a similar bill that was cosponsored by representatives Ed Royce and Brad Sherman, in the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 13 and has been referred to the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs. China advocates Taiwan is part of its territory and strongly opposes any behavior that indicates the “renegade province” is a sovereign state, and attempts to block visits by senior officials from countries that Taiwan does not have formal diplomatic relations with.

Beijing halted official dialogue with Taiwan since Tsai, who belongs to the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), became president. Beijing insists on the “One China” principle – a policy that is by many described as Beijing’s attempt to dictate that one China shop should be good enough for everybody and that no elephants, Trump or others should rattle the porcelain.

CH/L – nsnbc 06.05.2017



Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/05/06/six-u-s-senators-introduce-bill-to-allow-taiwanese-officials-to-visit/

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