US Representative Steve Chabot, co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, on Thursday proposed a resolution asking the US government to counter Beijing’s “one China” principle.
In the resolution, Chabot said that the US’ “one China” policy is not equivalent to Beijing’s “one China” principle, as the former is based on the full implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act and the Three Joint Communiques it negotiated with Beijing, with a focus on peaceful resolution of Taiwan’s status.
“In the Three Joint Communiques, the United States only acknowledged, without endorsing, the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China] claim that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China,” the resolution said.
“However, the PRC has actively sought to assert its one China principle over any other position on Taiwan’s status, including the US’ one China policy,” it said.
It is in the US’ national interest for the resolution of Taiwan’s status to be peaceful and respectful of the nation’s thriving democracy, the resolution said, adding that Beijng’s “one China” principle fails to reflect the “objective state of affairs” that the government represents a democracy of 23.6 million people.
The resolution also listed some of the predicaments Taiwan has faced due to Chinese pressure, including its exclusion from the WHO and other international organizations, loss of diplomatic allies and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) plan to adopt a “one country, two systems” model for unification.
“The PRC’s persistent and increasing authoritarianism, and Taiwan’s consolidation of its democracy place the PRC and Taiwan on divergent paths and make unification less likely,” it said.
The resolution urges constructive cross-strait dialogue without preconditions, and urged other countries and international organizations to refrain from acquiescing to Beijing’s “one China” principle.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked Chabot for his support, saying that it would pay close attention to developments.
“We will continue to play our role as a responsible and actively contributing member of the international community,” the ministry said, calling on other nations to support Taiwan’s democracy so that it can continue to shine.
Mike Kuo (郭正光), president of the Washington-based Formosan Association for Public Affairs, called Beijing’s “one China” principle a “bizarre and irrational fiction.”
It is time for the US government to proactively challenge the “one China” principle and rethink support for its “one China” policy, he said.
Source: Taipei Times - 2019/03/23
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