Members of the US Congress have introduced non-binding resolutions reaffirming Washington’s commitment to Taipei under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the enactment of the act.
Democratic representatives Ami Bera and Gerald Connolly and their Republican colleagues Mario Diaz-Balart and Andy Barr, co-chairs of the US House of Representatives’ Congressional Taiwan Caucus, proposed a bipartisan resolution to the US House of Representatives to “reaffirm the United States’ commitment to Taiwan.”
Photo: CNA
The resolution is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of 63 House members.
Calling the TRA a “historic piece of legislation” that embodies the US’ commitment to supply arms to Taiwan and maintain its capacity to “resist threats endangering the security of Taiwanese,” the caucus said it has “underpinned the robust US-Taiwan relationship” over the past four decades.
The bonds between Taiwan and the US comprise a beacon of democratic values, human rights and the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific region and the world, it said.
“Now more than ever, it is imperative that the US stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Taiwan to celebrate our shared democratic values,” a press release dated Wednesday quoted Connolly as saying.
“Today, we honor the friendship between the US and Taiwan and we recommit ourselves to preserving and protecting the critical partnership we share,” Connolly added.
“Taiwan’s engagement in international organizations to address shared challenges in public health, climate change, and democratic resilience exemplify its capabilities to be a force for good in the Indo-Pacific and across the globe,” said Bera, who is also a ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific.
“Taiwan stands as a key ally, crucial to prosperity and stability in the region,” Diaz-Balart said.
“The US remains steadfast in its support of the people of Taiwan, and will continue to fortify this valued partnership for years to come,” he said.
The legislation has been “a cornerstone of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, embodying the strong and unwavering commitment of the United States to Taiwan,” Barr said.
The “House of Representatives reaffirms unwavering commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act ... [which] together with the Six Assurances are cornerstones of the US unofficial relationship with Taiwan,” the resolution states.
“The US should continue regular transfers of defense articles to Taiwan consistent with Taiwan’s self-defense requirements,” it said.
US senators Jeff Merkley and Marco Rubio, both members of the Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations, also sponsored a companion resolution in the US Senate.
The bipartisan, bicameral resolution “honors our unwavering commitment to a key democratic ally,” Merkley, a Democrat, said of Taiwan in a separate joint press release.
The US “reaffirms its support to our democratic ally in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Rubio, a Republican. “May this cornerstone of our bilateral relations remain strong as Taiwan confronts constant threats from Communist China.”
Separately, the US-based Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) on Wednesday published a full-page advertisement in the Washington Times urging US lawmakers to take measures beneficial to Taiwan.
US legislators should authorize renaming the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, Taiwan’s de facto embassy, to the Taiwan Representative Office, and conclude a proposed bilateral trade agreement, FAPA said in the advert.
It also called on US lawmakers to establish diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
Additional reporting by CNA
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