Taipei Times
Date: Sep 03, 2018
By Nadia Tsao and Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporter in Washington, with Staff Writer and CNA
Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) on Friday had a one-on-one meeting with US
Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan, left, speaks to US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, right, in Washington on Friday. Photo courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US
House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan in Washington, marking the first such meeting since the US severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979.
Although the US’ Taiwan Relations Act does not forbid the speakers from having public meetings, the US was concerned that doing so would cause political speculation.
However, since the US Congress passed the Taiwan Travel Act earlier this year, interactions between senior-level government officials from the two sides have become more frequent and public.
In 2008, then-legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) met with then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi and other US representatives at the US Capitol, local media reported. [FULL STORY]