The US supports Taiwan’s participation in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and is looking for ways to achieve that goal and promote Taiwan’s participation in appropriate organizations, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel said on Thursday.
“We very much agree that Taiwan is a net contributor to international law enforcement and we’re looking for ways to build on that,” Russel said during a hearing before the US House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, which introduced a bill urging US President Barack Obama to push for observer status for Taiwan in Interpol last week.
Sponsored by US Representative Matt Salmon, chairman of the subcommittee, the bill would require Obama to submit an official request on Taiwan’s behalf to Interpol and develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan, including actively urging member states to assist in the effort.
Russel said that the executive branch of the US government also supports Taiwan’s participation in Interpol and Taiwan’s bid to be a member of international organizations for which “statehood is not a prerequisite.”
The US will promote Taiwan’s bid to gain observer status or to benefit from international organizations when membership is not possible due to the objection of Beijing, he said.
Salmon said that he expects the bill to clear the House of Representatives swiftly and go directly to the White House, as the bill has bipartisan backing in US Congress and is supported by the executive branch.
Taiwan was a full member of Interpol from 1964 until 1984, when the People’s Republic of China applied for membership.
Meanwhile, asked whether there would be a second phase of negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and whether Taiwan and China might join the TPP, Russel said that the top priority is to finalize the first phase of negotiations, adding that it is a good sign that the key trading partners of the US, including Taiwan and South Korea, have shown a keen interest in joining the TPP.
The possibility of China participation in the TPP has been the cause of much speculation, but China’s entry is welcomed provided that China is able to meet all the TPP requirements in terms of international trade policy, workers’ rights and environmental issues, he added.
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