In a recent post, I wondered which U.S. presidential candidate would be better on supporting democratic Taiwan over the communists in Beijing and gave a slight edge to Senator McCain (though both candidates appear to support a continuation of the ridiculous “one China” policy).
As a part of America’s acquiesence to Beijing’s false claim of sovereignty over democratic Taiwan, there are travel restrictions on Taiwanese officials to the U.S. and bans on direct communications between U.S. government officials and their counterparts in Taiwan. So would President Obama put an end to these restrictions?
From the Formosan Association for Public Affairs comes this tidbit from Senator Obama’s comments on Taiwan’s March 2008 presidential election:
The United States should respond to Ma Ying-jeou’s election by rebuilding a relationship of trust and support for Taiwan’s democracy. The U.S. should reopen blocked channels of communication with Taiwan officials.
Does Senator Obama mean it?
Back in October 2007, U.S. Senator Tim Johnson introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 48 (S.CON.RES.48) a resolution which:
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) restrictions on U.S. visits by high-level elected and appointed officials of Taiwan, including the President of Taiwan, should be lifted; (2) the United States should allow direct Cabinet level exchanges in order to strengthen a policy dialogue with Taiwan; and (3) it is in the U.S. national interest to strengthen links with the democratically-elected government of Taiwan and demonstrate stronger support for democracy in the Asia-Pacific region.
Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the president, and lack the force of law. Rather they are intended, among other things, to express the sentiments of the U.S. Congress in a formal way towards a particular issue.
Yet missing for the very short list of co-sponsors for the resolution is Senator Barack Obama (to be fair, Senator McCain’s name is also absent from the list).
The resolution was sent to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for consideration in October 2007, and that was the end of Congressional action on the resolution thus far. Among the members of the foreign affairs committee is U.S. Senator Barack Obama. As a side note, the chairman of the committee is U.S. Senator Joseph Biden, who is now Senator Obama’s vice presidential running mate.
Point is that months before Senator Obama stated that the U.S. “should reopen blocked channels of communications with Taiwan officials” he had an opportunity to co-sponsor and help push through the foreign affairs committee a resolution advocating for just such a re-opening of communication with Taiwan.
Of course, President Obama could make the sentiment of S.CON.RES.48 a reality by simply ordering the U.S. State Department to begin direct communcation with the Taiwanese…but would he?
For now, the pro-Taiwan edge still goes to McCain.
Worse yet, it is precisely the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and now his vice-presidential running mate, Senator Joseph Biden, who blocked the SCR48 you mentioned.
One of FAPA’s esteemed board members, Dr.Jay Loo described his encounter with Senator Joe Biden as follows:
QUOTE:
The Taiwanese American community in Delaware has tried for many years to talk to Biden about Taiwan, without success. Around 1999-2000 when FAPA and many others were pushing for the passage of the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, Alice Yang finally secured an appointment to see Biden’s foreign affairs aide Frank Jannuzi, through the help of then Delaware Governor Tom Carper (now Senator). So I joined a group of several Delaware Taiwanese Americans at the Senate Foreign Relations (FRC) office to talk to Jannuzi for about 75 minutes, trying to get Biden’s support for TSEA. Finally Frank said I really sympathize with your view but there is just no way I can persuade my boss to support the Act. Biden was then the ranking Democratic member of the FRC.
…
Shortly after this visit to the Senate, I had an opportunity to engage Joe Biden himself in a mini-debate on TSEA. … (at)a breakfast meeting of a Wilmington chamber of commerce, where Biden was the main speaker. So during Q&A, I briefly described TSEA and asked Biden what his position was on the Act. But even before I finished talking, Biden turned away from me and asked the audience if China were to attack Taiwan, would anyone be willing to put his son or daughter in harm’s way to defend Taiwan. His implication was clear: Taiwan was not important enough to risk the shedding of American blood.
After his long-winded screed, Biden finally turned back to me so I said, “Senator, you didn’t let me finish my question.” Then I explained that according to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), it is the US objective to protect the human rights of the Taiwanese and any Chinese threat to Taiwan’s security is a matter of grave concern to the US, which is obligated to sell defense arms to Taiwan.
Biden then changed his tune, went into his own elaboration of the TRA provisions and finally proclaimed he was a proud sponsor of the TRA. Afterward he was very friendly when I asked to have a picture taken with him. But it seems clear to me Biden’s pro-China view is deeply rooted.
…
UNQUOTE
Despite the domestic turmoil such as unrest in Tibet, earth quake in Sichuan, … the celestial bodies seem to align toward Beijing this year. First the Taiwanese voters gave the pro-China KMT absolute majority in the legislature in January; Two months later the same voters gave the pro-China KMT a landslide presidential victory; then the stunning success of the Olympics when the world was taken in awe. A successful Obama-Biden campaign will give Beijing another reason to celebration.
While the delegates are swoon by the electrifying speeches at the DNC, PLA’s nuclear submarines are moving closer to Californian coast. Taiwan may be a foregone case; when will American people wake up?