TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Republican in the House of Representatives has put forward a resolution that calls for an end to the United States’ One China Policy, and calls for the resumption of full diplomatic recognition for Taiwan.



California representative Dana Rohrabacher on June 20 submitted the resolution calling for the U.S. to resume normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. It has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations for initial readings.

The announcement of the legislation was made public by a press release from the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA), a U.S. based advocacy group for Taiwan.

The resolution covers three main points for U.S. policy regarding Taiwan:



1. The U.S. President should abandon the “fundamentally flawed One-China Policy” in favor of a more realistic “One China, One Taiwan Policy.”



2. The U.S. should resume normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

3. The President and U.S. representatives in international bodies, like the United Nations, should aggressively support Taiwan's full participation in the UN and any other international bodies of which the U.S. is a member, and which require full statehood for membership.



Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (Image from the FAPA Press Release)

Taiwan-US relations have appeared to warm considerably over the course of the Trump presidency, and especially in recent months with the passing of the Taiwan Travel Act, which calls for high level exchanges between executive leaders of both countries.



The recent opening of the new complex for the American Institute in Taiwan, as well as NDAA legislation calling for increased military exchanges and cooperation in the defense industry, are clear signs that the U.S. attitude towards Taiwan is shifting in relation to an increasingly powerful Chinese presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the Press Release, FAPA President Mike Kuo states that “by normalizing relations with Taiwan, the United States would set a shining example for other countries to emulate.”

The resolution claims the U.S. One China Policy is “effectively obsolete” and states that it “does not reflect the obvious reality that Taiwan has been an independent and sovereign country for over half a century.” The legislation opens with a persuasive list outlining the shortcomings and flaws of U.S. policy.



The press release closes with the following statement from the FAPA President:

“The resolution reflects the growing sense within the U.S. Congress that the United States “One China Policy” is more and more untenable, as it is out of touch with the unmistakable reality that Taiwan is a free and democratic nation that deserves to be accepted as a full and equal member in the international community. The time is now to move towards a more realistic and practical ‘One China, One Taiwan’ policy.”

The full text of the resolution can be viewed below.





