‘NET CONTRIBUTOR’:US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel said the US supports observer status. He said it was too soon to talk about TPP phase 2

Taipei Times
Date: Apr 25, 2015
By: Nadia Tsao and Chen Wei-han  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer

The US supports Taiwan’s participation in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and is looking for ways to achieve that goal and promote Taiwan’s participation in appropriate organizations, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Russel said on Thursday.

“We very much agree that Taiwan is a net contributor to international law enforcement and we’re looking for ways to build on that,” Russel said during a hearing before the US House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, which introduced a bill urging US President Barack Obama to push for observer status for Taiwan in Interpol last week.

Sponsored by US Representative Matt Salmon, chairman of the subcommittee, the bill would require Obama to submit an official request on Taiwan’s behalf to Interpol and develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan, including actively urging member states to assist in the effort.     [FULL  STORY]