U.S. Senate passes Taiwan travel bill that worried China

 

A general view of the Taipei skyline shows the Taipei 101 building before Earth Hour in Taipei, Taiwan March 19, 2016. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a bill criticized by China promoting closer U.S. ties with Taiwan, and the legislation only needs President Donald Trump's signature to become law.

 

The Senate passed the Taiwan Travel Act by unanimous consent. It passed the House of Representatives in January, also without opposition.

The legislation says it should be U.S. policy to allow officials at all levels to travel to Taiwan to meet their Taiwanese counterparts, permit high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the United States "under respectful conditions" and meet with U.S. officials, and encourage Taiwanese economic and cultural representatives to conduct business in the United States.

 

White House officials did not immediately respond when asked if Trump planned to sign the legislation. It would be unusual for a president to veto a measure that passed unanimously.

 

The Xinhua news agency reported earlier this month that China was "strongly dissatisfied" with the legislation, saying that some of its clauses violated the one-China principle under which it considers Taiwan a breakaway province.

 

Beijing has taken an increasingly hostile stance toward Taiwan over the past two years.

 

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-03-01

Good news!


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Good news, indeed.  The US dumped Taiwan for China back in the 70's.  Another example of why countries can't trust the USA over the long term. It's about time everyone recognized that the one China policy is blackmail by PRC.  There are two Chinas and the world should recognize that fact.

17 hours ago, Trouble said:

Good news, indeed.  The US dumped Taiwan for China back in the 70's.  Another example of why countries can't trust the USA over the long term. It's about time everyone recognized that the one China policy is blackmail by PRC.  There are two Chinas and the world should recognize that fact.

They're not too good with their "allies" either,they left the Hmong high and dry in Laos and the South Vietnamese Gov't that they told they'd protect if the North attacked, when they ran out of Vietnam.They told the Marsh Kurds to rebel against Saddam and they got slaughtered.

Not often that I agree with much administration policy, but this is an exception.

Never really agreed with the Nixon One China doctrine, and Taipei has proven a trusted and reliable ally, in what is, take Thailand as an example, a region of fair weather friends.

If push came to shove, and thing really did escalate with China, I'm pretty sure I rather have Taipei on my side than the Chinese flunkies in Bangkok

Taiwan ranks up there with South Korea & Japan, should be rewarded as such.

Edited March 2, 20188 yr by GinBoy2

It could make life interesting if the ships floating around off the coast of Korea did a rotational port-of-call in Taiwan, just for some r&r. 

1 hour ago, mrwebb8825 said:

It could make life interesting if the ships floating around off the coast of Korea did a rotational port-of-call in Taiwan, just for some r&r. 

The North Koreans would certainly endorse the move.