US senators introduce legislation to punish Taiwan allies who switch sides, accusing Beijing of ‘bullying’
The legislation would authorise the State Department to downgrade US relations with any government that shifts away from Taiwan, and to suspend or alter US assistance
A bipartisan group of US senators on Wednesday announced that they had introduced legislation to discourage Taiwan’s few remaining allies from switching their diplomatic recognition to Beijing, after El Salvador became the third country this year to make the shift.
The legislation, titled the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act, was introduced on Monday by Republican Senators Cory Gardner and Marco Rubio, and Democrats Ed Markey and Bob Menendez, according to a press release published on Wednesday on Gardner’s official website.
“This legislation is intended to strengthen Taiwan’s standing around the world and comes in response to several nations breaking official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, due to Chinese pressure and bullying tactics,” the press release said.
The latest legislation effort by US lawmakers came as Central American country El Salvador cut its formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan last month, leaving it with only 17 remaining diplomatic allies. China regards Taiwan as a wayward province to be brought to its rule by force if necessary. The US maintains unofficial relations with the island and considers it a staunch ally, although Washington switched its formal diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.
[The legislation would] allow the US government to downgrade the diplomatic relationships we have with nations that choose to follow the bullying of China
The State Department had said the United States was “deeply disappointed” by El Salvador’s decision and was reviewing its relationship with San Salvador, without elaborating further.
