Countries that cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan could lose the friendship of the United States under a newly-released bill from a bipartisan group of senators.
“This important legislation reaffirms our commitment to the U.S.-Taiwan relationship and allows for the State Department to take diplomatic action against governments that alter diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of China,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., one of the architects of the bill, said late Wednesday. “China’s insidious agenda to isolate Taiwan cannot go unanswered, and I call on my colleagues to quickly pass this bill.”
China, which has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan ever since the Communist Revolution that overthrew the previous Chinese government, has won a series of diplomatic victories by inducing other countries to stop recognizing the island as an independent government. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s most recent success on that front — outreach to El Salvador — had the double significance of undercutting Taiwan and laying the groundwork for a Chinese naval port in Latin America.
“Beijing is promising paydays to governments to entice them to cut diplomatic relations with Taiwan,” Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said alongside Rubio. “Without a coherent U.S. strategy to push back, Taiwan’s official partners might drop from 17 to zero. We must stand up for our friends in Taiwan.”
The bill is also backed by Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. All four senators sit on the Foreign Relations Committee, and Mendendez is the top Democrat on the panel.
Their bill would require President Trump’s administration to develop a “strategy to engage with governments around the world.” Likewise, it would empower the State Department to “downgrade U.S. relations with any government that takes adverse actions with regard to Taiwan” or cut foreign aid and military assistance as well.
“The Trump administration should join our effort to send a clear message to those being bullied by China’s expansionist agenda that the United States continues to be a reliable and long term partner for our allies and our neighbors,” Menendez said.
China refuses to maintain diplomatic relations with any country that gives Taiwan the same recognition. Even the United States has maintained only unofficial ties to the government in Taipei. The rising Communist power responded derisively earlier Wednesday, when the tiny Pacific Island country of Nauru also protested China’s posture regarding Taiwan.
“Any attempt to create ‘two Chinas’ or ‘one China, one Taiwan’ will be rejected and is doomed to fail,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a press briefing.
The Senate legislation is designed to raise the stakes of complying with Beijing.
“The United States will use every tool to support Taiwan’s standing on the international stage,” Gardner said. “This bipartisan legislation demands a whole-of-government approach to stand up to China’s bullying tactics against Taiwan, and will send a strong message to those nations considering siding with China over Taiwan that there will be consequences for such actions.”
