The US Congress is concerned that China's proposed "anti-secession" law could change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait or increase the possibility of a Chinese attack, and would respond if the law increased either danger, senior congressional staffers on the House International Relations Committee warned on Friday.
But until Beijing publishes the text of the proposed legislation, which it has so far kept a secret, there is little that Congress can do, the staffers told a seminar hosted by the Heritage Foundation in Washington.
In any event, the staffers said, the earliest that Congress could respond to any dangers posed by the law would be next month, since China's National People's Congress is not expected to approve and publish the law before March 15.
Congress goes out on a two-week spring break a few days after that date.
"We are very concerned about China's not doing anything to change the status quo across the Strait, and if the law in any way changes the status quo or increases the threat of the use of force, Congress is likely to speak out in opposition to it," said Peter Yeo, deputy Democratic staff director of the House committee.
Conceding that "there are limits to what we can do," Yeo said that Congress would likely express concern over the law.
Dennis Halpin, the committee staffer responsible for China affairs for the majority Republicans, agreed. He cited US President George W. Bush's comments on Dec. 9, 2003, in which Bush publicly berated President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for planning an election-day referendum on cross-strait matters. Bush at the time opposed any changes in the status quo by either side, including Beijing, Halpin said.
Congress is prepared to press the administration on that statement, Halpin said.
"If people see that the language that comes out of the anti-secession law is a clear direction to the change in the status quo, people would remind the administration of its public statement opposing changes in the status quo," he said.
The US has already voiced its opposition to a draconian "anti-secession" law, and Beijing may have reacted to that, the congressional staffers indicated.
"I think it should be clear through private and other channels that the people in Beijing are well aware of Congress' bottom-line concerns on this," Halpin said. "So if they decide to cross the Rubicon, there will be a reaction," he said.
Halpin also predicted that there would be a "vigorous congressional response" if the EU ends its arms embargo on China.
"It is a very high priority for the committee," he said. People in "very high levels of our committee are very concerned about the EU action."
He would not give details, and refused to comment on reports that Congress may impose sanctions against the EU in response.
Speaking on US arms sales to Taiwan, Yeo described as "shocking" the Legislative Yuan's failure to pass the special defense budget authorizing the purchase of diesel submarines, PAC-3 anti-missile batteries and PC-3 anti-submarine aircraft.
"It is undoubtedly going to have an impact on US-Taiwan relations," he said.
"Taiwan needs to recognize that it has to approve the additional defense spending, because the US is not going to be solely responsible for Taiwan's defense," he said.
GEARING UP: An invasion would be difficult and would strain China’s forces, but it has conducted large-scale training supporting an invasion scenario, the report said China increased its military pressure on Taiwan last year and took other steps in preparation for a potential invasion, an annual report published by the US Department of Defense on Wednesday showed. “Throughout 2023, Beijing continued to erode longstanding norms in and around Taiwan by employing a range of pressure tactics against Taiwan,” the report said, which is titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) 2024.” The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “is preparing for a contingency to unify Taiwan with the PRC by force, if perceived as necessary by Beijing, while simultaneously deterring, delaying or denying
‘ONE BRIDGE’: The US president-elect met with Akie Abe on Dec. 15 in Florida and the two discussed a potential Taiwan-China conflict’s implications for world peace US president-elect Donald Trump has described Taiwan as “a major issue for world peace” during a meeting with Akie Abe, the widow of late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese newspaper the Yomiuri Shimbun quoted sources as saying in a report yesterday. Trump met with Akie Abe on Dec. 15 at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where the two discussed the Russo-Ukrainian war and the situation in the Taiwan Strait. During the meeting, Trump spoke on the implications for world peace of a potential Taiwan-China conflict, which “indicated his administration’s stance of placing importance on dealing with the situation in
QUICK LOOK: The amendments include stricter recall requirements and Constitutional Court procedures, as well as a big increase in local governments’ budgets Portions of controversial amendments to tighten requirements for recalling officials and Constitutional Court procedures were passed by opposition lawmakers yesterday following clashes between lawmakers in the morning, as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members tried to block Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators from entering the chamber. Parts of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法) and Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法) passed the third reading yesterday. The legislature was still voting on various amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) as of press time last night, after the session was extended to midnight. Amendments to Article 4
ALLIANCE: Washington continues to implement its policy of normalizing arms sales to Taiwan and helps enhance its defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said US President Joe Biden on Friday agreed to provide US$571.3 million in defense support for Taiwan, the White House said, while the US State Department approved the potential sale of US$265 million in military equipment. Biden had delegated to the secretary of state the authority “to direct the drawdown of up to US$571.3 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan,” the White House said in a statement. However, it did not provide specific details about this latest package, which was the third of its kind to
RSS