US senators reintroduce draft bill supporting Taiwan’s international recognition

Taiwan News
Date: 2019/05/27
By: Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three U.S. senators on Thursday (May 24) reintroduced a draft bill designed to counter China’s bullying of Taiwan in the international arena and the poaching of its diplomatic allies by downgrading relations and cutting or lowering aid to countries that kowtow to Beijing’s demands.

On Thursday, Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Marco Rubio (R-FL) reintroduced the draft Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act, or the TAIPEI Act. The act is a U.S. Strategy to engage with governments in the world that support Taiwan’s diplomatic recognition, while downgrading ties with countries that tow the Chinese Communist Party line on Taiwan and suspend or alter U.S. foreign assistance to the governments of such nations.

The bill opens by mentioning that since President Tsai Ing-wen was elected in 2016, China has poached six diplomatic allies from Taiwan, and that the Taiwan Relations Act of 2019 requires the U.S. to take steps to address this. The draft then calls on the Secretary of State to submit a report to congress on steps taken by the U.S. to “reaffirm and strengthen Taiwan’s international alliances around the world,” within 90 days after the law’s passage and every 180 days thereafter.    [FULL  STORY]