|
Taiwan bill
introduced in US Congress
FIGHTING ¡¥NEGLECT¡¦: The new bill declares arms
sales should include new F-16C/D aircraft and upgrades of the existing F-16A/B
fleet are ¡¥essential to Taiwan¡¦s security¡¦
By William Lowther / Staff Reporter in Washington
A major new bill to strengthen and enhance the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) has
been introduced to the US Congress by Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,
chairperson of the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee.
¡§With the TRA and the 2000 Taiwan Relations Enhancement Act, it is the most
important piece of Taiwan legislation in the US Congress over the past 30
years,¡¨ said Coen Blaauw, an executive with the Formosa Association For -Public
Affairs.
Known as the ¡§Taiwan Policy Act of 2011,¡¨ the bill may have enough bipartisan
support to pass the Republican-controlled House, but it is likely to have a
harder time in the Senate.
¡§Taiwan is one of our closest and most important allies, and it is time again
for our foreign policy to reflect that. This legislation seeks to reverse the
pattern of neglect and inattention by the [US President Barack] Obama
administration toward critical US-Taiwan issues,¡¨ Ros-Lehtinen said.
She said that it was ¡§deeply concerning¡¨ that Obama¡¦s commitment seemed to be
faltering ¡§most glaringly¡¨ through continued refusals to sell Taiwan advanced
F-16C/Ds or diesel-electric submarines.
¡§This bill supports the sale of F-16C/Ds to Taiwan and endorses a wide range of
defense exports to the island, and strengthens congressional oversight of
defense transfers to Taiwan,¡¨ Ros-Lehtinen said. ¡§The bill also supports visits
by Cabinet-level and other senior Taiwanese leaders to the US, reaffirms [former
US] president [Ronald] Reagan¡¦s Six Assurances as guidelines for the conduct of
US-Taiwan relations, supports visa-waiver treatment for Taiwanese travelers to
the US as soon as all requirements for inclusion in the program are met, and
encourages the negotiation of a trade and investment framework agreement, and
eventual negotiation of a free-trade agreement.¡¨
¡§China must not be allowed to dictate US policy in the Pacific,¡¨ she added.
Co-sponsors of the bill are Democratic Representative Robert Andrews and
Republican -Representatives Dan Burton, Edward Royce, Steve Chabot and Mario
Diaz-Balart.
¡§In recent years, United States-Taiwan relations have suffered from inattention
and lack of strategic vision, thereby requiring the Congress to both clarify US
policy toward Taiwan and enhance its oversight role in the implementation of the
TRA,¡¨ the 24-page bill said.
It has been introduced at a tense moment in US-Taiwan relations, with Obama
nearing a self-imposed deadline of Oct. 1 to announce his decision on whether to
sell Taipei 66 advanced F-16C/D jets.
There has been extensive speculation that he will bow to Chinese pressure and
refuse to sell the fighters, choosing instead to update and refit Taiwan¡¦s fleet
of aging F-16A/B planes. However, if the new bill became law, it force Obama to
make the sale.
A congressional insider with access to back-room thinking said that while the
bill had little chance of passing in its present form, it formed the solid basis
of a negotiating platform between Congress and the White House.
¡§It¡¦s a starting point to win at least some concessions from the Obama
administration,¡¨ the insider said.
The new bill cites the TRA as requiring the US to ¡§make available defensive
articles and services,¡¨ and goes a step further by declaring that these should
include new F-16C/D aircraft and upgrades of the existing F-16A/B fleet
¡§essential to Taiwan¡¦s security.¡¨
In addition, the bill calls for Taiwan to be admitted to meaningful
participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization and for Taiwan to
be admitted to the US visa-waiver program.
¡§It is in the economic interests of the US and the national security interests
of Taiwan for our two peoples to further strengthen and revitalize their trade
and investment ties, including through an expanded Trans Pacific Partnership
Agreement,¡¨ the bill says.
The bill adds that the US Trade Representative should conclude negotiations in
the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and that there should be an
ultimate goal of reaching a free-trade agreement with Taiwan.
In the meantime, the bill says the US should launch a study into the feasibility
of negotiating an investment and tax agreement with Taiwan.
Furthermore, it gives the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO)
the right to fly the Taiwanese flag in Washington and also gives TECRO the right
to conduct official business at its Twin Oaks Estate, including activities
involving members of the US Congress and the US government.
If the Taiwanese government wanted, it could change TECRO¡¦s name to the Taiwan
Representative Office. In effect, the bill would turn Twin Oaks into the
Taiwanese embassy.
The bill calls for Cabinet-level officials to visit Taiwan and it would permit
senior Taiwanese officials to visit the US ¡§under conditions which demonstrate
appropriate courtesy and respect for the dignity of such leaders.¡¨
Also, it would permit high-level Taiwanese and US officials in all US executive
departments to meet. It also calls for the signing of a comprehensive
extradition agreement.
On the question of arms sales, the bill contains a long list of items that
should be made available to Taiwan, including modern surface-to-air missiles,
vertical and short take-off and landing aircraft, access to satellites for
remote sensing and communication, submarines, anti-ship cruise missiles and
enhanced senior-level training.
The bill also calls for an extensive review into whether Taiwan¡¦s air defense
forces retain the ability to effectively defend Taiwan ¡§against China¡¦s
ballistic missile and air threats.¡¨
|
