The Taiwan Representative Office in the United States holds a New Year’s Day flag-raising ceremony at Twin Oaks Park in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 1, 2015. (Photo courtesy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States)
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz introduced the “ROC Act” on Wednesday (March 24), a reassurance law on U.S.-Taiwan official contacts that would require the United States to give the Republic of China government proper treatment and prohibit the Biden administration from reverting to various policy guidelines that restricted contacts with Taiwan officials under the Obama administration in 2015.
Led by Republican Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the bill on official U.S.-Taiwan contacts is formally known as the Reassurance On Commitments Act of 2021 and has been introduced by a number of heavyweights, including Rubio, Hawley, Cotton, Scott, Cornyn, Sasse, Blackburn The bill was co-sponsored by several heavyweight Republican senators, including Rubio, Hawley, Cotton, Scott, Cornyn, Sasse, Blackburn and Braun.
A statement released by Cruz’s office said the ROC law would prohibit the Biden Administration from reinstating the 2015 Obama administration policy guidance, that one prohibiting ROC military personnel and diplomats from displaying the Taiwan flag. “Senator Cruz was successful last year in getting the Trump administration to overturn the 2015 guidance, including the Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty Act (TOS Act), which introduced the requirement to make this change.”
In the statement, Cruz said, “The Chinese Communist Party continues to use censorship and propaganda to isolate and control the narrative about Taiwan. The United States should never take orders from a communist regime, and the Biden administration should not overturn the important progress the Trump Administration has made in growing Taiwan as an ally. Maintaining these norms is critical, especially as China continues to increase its hostility toward this country.”
Before the Trump administration left office on January 20 of this year, then-Secretary of State Pompeo announced on January 9 that he was rescinding the State Department’s internal policy guidance on official U.S.-Taiwan contacts and lifting the “self-imposed restrictions” on official U.S.-Taiwan contacts, an announcement that sparked strong opposition and protests from the Beijing authorities, and after the Biden administration took office, Secretary of State nominee Blinken said during After the Biden administration took office, Secretary of State nominee John Blinken said during his Senate confirmation hearing that he would review relevant norms in light of the Taiwan Assurances Act passed late last year and hoped to create more space for U.S.-Taiwan contacts.
Blinken’s response was in response to Senator Cruz’s question about whether to reinstate restrictions on official U.S.-Taiwan contacts.
Some observers believe that although Blinken did not indicate whether to continue the State Department’s internal rules on official U.S.-Taiwan contacts that were repealed by Pompeo, the Biden administration’s preference may be to “just do it, not say it,” and outsiders have at least seen Taiwan’s representative to the U.S., Xiao Meiqin, formally invited to President Biden’s inauguration and to the State Department to work with Acting Asia Pacific At least Taiwan’s representative to the U.S. has been formally invited to President Biden’s inauguration and to the State Department to meet with Acting Asia-Pacific Secretary Sung Kim.
The Reassurance Commitment Act of 2021 states that the purpose of the bill is to “give appropriate treatment to representatives of the Government of the Republic of China” and that, in addition to the original statutory provisions, “funds appropriated to the Department of State for fiscal year 2022 shall not be used to prepare, propose, draft, review, or issue any rule, guidance, or executive order, or otherwise implement, administer, or enforce any policy that restricts military personnel or government representatives of the Republic of China (Taiwan) or the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) from displaying for official purposes the symbols of the sovereignty of the Republic of China, including the flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the corresponding insignia, or the rank and file jang of military units.”
The bill states that the so-called “official purposes” include wearing official uniforms, performing government-sponsored ceremonies or events, and appearing on State Department social media accounts that promote U.S.-Taiwan relations.
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