Posted on 03/27/2020 7:14:21 PM PDT by Zhang Fei
President Donald Trump signed the TAIPEI Act, a bill expressing Washington’s support for Taiwan in strengthening its relationships with countries around the world.
The legislation, formally titled the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act, was passed unanimously by the House of Representatives on March 4. The Senate bill, which was approved unanimously in October, then had to be reconciled with the House’s version before going to Trump to be signed into law.
The act – written by Senator Cory Gardner, Republican of Colorado, and Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware – says the US should support Taiwan in strengthening its alliances around the world amid increased Chinese pressure and what Coons called “bullying tactics” by Beijing.
“The United States should use every tool to support Taiwan’s standing on the international stage,” Gardner said in a joint announcement with Coons. “This bipartisan legislation demands a whole-of-government approach to ramp up our support for Taiwan, and will send a strong message to nations that there will be consequences for supporting Chinese actions that undermine Taiwan.”
“I’m pleased the President signed this bill into law,” said Coons. “The TAIPEI Act sends a clear message that the United States stands with Taiwan’s free-market democracy. I look forward to finding additional ways to support the positive role Taiwan plays in international affairs.”
Under the bill, the US will consider reducing its economic, security and diplomatic engagement with nations that take significant actions to undermine Taiwan.
Beijing has criticised such moves by US lawmakers as attempts to interfere in China’s domestic affairs. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has called the TAIPEI Act a “severe violation of the one-China principle”.
Taiwan currently maintains full diplomatic relations with 15 nations. Since 2016, when Taiwan’s pro-democracy president Tsai Ing-wen came to power, eight countries have severed
(Excerpt) Read more at scmp.com ...
Trump is going to push everyone’s buttons and dare them to do a damn thing about it. Could get ugly, but so be it. The planet is screwed up at this point.
Trump protecting Truth, Justice, and the American Way
Provocative move. Done with a purpose. These are scary times.
China did this to us. China holds our debt. I think I can say this objectively. This is no time no change Administrations, it’s buckle up time.
Seems like a good time for China to take Taiwan.
That would not turn out well for them.
Recognize The Republic of China. Put a US Embassy there, and allow a Republic of China Embassy here.
That’s damned stupid.
China can’t intercept all of Taiwan’s nuclear arsenal.
This was a taunt to show the People’s Republic is impotent on this issue.
Mom is still mad at Henry Kissinger for his betrayal of Taiwan.
Ping.
Good!
I would like to see the majority of countries re-recognuze Taiwan as Free China at the UN. After all, the ChiComs were extremely duplicitous in their actions regarding the CCP-Coronavirus. At the very minimum, they hid the truth of that virus from the world for six weeks, jailing several doctors who spoke of it and allowing infected ChiCom nationals to disperse it globally. Of course, it could well have been a bio-weapon developed in the level 4 bio-lab in Wuhan.
The actions of the ChiCom leadership were at the very least, negligent and may well have been an act of war or terrorism, economic, psychological, and biological.
The ChiCons need to be punished.
Taiwan deserves recognition and an embassy.
Now is the time.
we treat our friends like friends.
Why would Taiwan want anything to do with the crazy psycho neighbor that threatens to kill them and take their house every single days?
it is time to kick ccp out of china
I didn’t say they’d be smart to do it. Just saying they may conclude they’ll never have another opportunity like this.
Does Taiwan have nucs?
Does Taiwan have nucs?
No. They rely on ours. More importantly they rely on our will because without the will, all of our weapons are worthless. Just as important as our will is, “do the Chinese believe we have the will to fight China to save Taiwan?” It is important we persuade the Chinese that we do, if we are to insure they don’t even try. That’s difficult for a president to do if his base is believed to be as pacifistic as say, Ron Paul fans. The pacifist at any price crowd unwittingly makes aggression more, not less likely, because they’re always loudly proclaiming they have no will. It’s also difficult for a president to be persuasive if his Naval officers are insubordinate and go out of their way to display weakness and if it looks like there’s a nearly 4 year ongoing coup attempt undermining his authority.
Thanks.
Yes Taiwan does have nukes, and no they do not rely on ours.
Taiwan was in fact test detonating her nuclear arsenal at sea in 1982 and 1983 and it rattled the communists on the mainland. The communists began building up in Fujian province.
I was stationed on Okinawa at the time so all of this was right next door and within our theater of operation. The SR71s out of Kadena Airbase flew mission after mission. So much so that there came to be concerns that they weren’t getting enough maintenance time.
Eventually at the request of pretty much everybody Reagan held talks with Taiwan, and the explosions stopped.
Nobody who was in Asia or the Pacific at the time believes Taiwan just decided to give up their arsenal and they trust a succession of American administrations for their protection. Reagan gave them proven designs that didn’t need testing.
Taiwan and Communist China stand at detente.
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