Global Times recently published a commentary on the Taipei Act that just passed the House of Representatives in Washington, D. C. The commentary described the new bill as “brutal interference in China’s internal affairs.” According to James Francis Moriarty, Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, the move was to double the effort to help Taiwan step up on the world stage. Apparently, the U.S. is once again ignoring the “One China” principle it committed to. However, Taiwan is just a strategic chess piece for the U.S., and the Taipei Act is not a binding resolution. The language used in the bill is largely on the side of “should” rather than “shall.” Only hours after the House passage of the new bill, Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen went immediately to meet James Moriarty in order to thank him. Maybe, as a political gambler, she still has hope for the independence “vision” for Taiwan,.
Right after the Taipei Act passed the House, Radio France International (RFI) Chinese Edition reported on the fact that the bill went through with a sweeping 415 to zero voting result. The bill supported Taiwan to participate in more international organizations as observers. It also asked the Executive branch to punish those countries that took steps to significantly hurt Taiwan’s security and prosperity. As an example of the unfair treatment Taiwan received, Taiwan was excluded from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which caused a negative impact globally. The U.S. Senate already passed its version of the Taipei Act last year.
Sources:
(1) Global Times, March 6, 2020
https://opinion.huanqiu.com/article/9CaKrnKpKEK
(2) RFI Chinese, March 5, 2020
https://bit.ly/38CTjuV