Taipei, Washington think Taiwan Relations Act adequate: Minister

Taipei, May 2 (CNA) Taiwan and the United States have been looking at piece of legislation that has guided their unofficial relations over the past 45 years, and they both think it is adequate for their current needs, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said Thursday.

The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) provides a legal basis for the US to help Taiwan take part in international organizations and to supply Taiwan with weapons systems to boost its self-defense capabilities, Wu said during a legislative hearing, after an American scholar called for a revision of the TRA.

Citing Section 4 of the TRA, Wu said that the absence of diplomatic relations or recognition between Taiwan and the US does not affect the application of US laws with regard to Taiwan.

The TRA extensively covers almost all aspects of Taiwan and US interactions, and there is no need to review it, he added.

“The key decision makers in both Taiwan and the US” have agreed that the TRA already offers “adequate flexibility” for both sides and meets their current needs, Wu said, when asked by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Loh Meei-ling (羅美玲) whether the recent call for a law revision should be heeded.

US scholar Miles Yu (余茂春) argued during a seminar in Taipei last month that the terms of the TRA only covered Taiwan proper and the Penghu archipelago.

The TRA should also include Kinmen and Matsu off the east coast of China, as well as Dongsha and Taiping, two Taiwan-controlled islands in the disputed South China Sea, Yu said in a pre-recorded address at the April 13 seminar that was held to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the TRA.

Furthermore, the TRA refers to “the people on Taiwan,” which would include any foreign visitor, so that should be revised to specify “the people of Taiwan” or “the Taiwanese people,” said Yu, who served as the China policy adviser to former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the administration of then President Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, however, Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant US secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said in a US Senate subcommittee hearing that the TRA serves as a “foundational element” for US One-China policy, and there is no need to change it.

“We have been able to engage in multiple initiatives and extensive cooperation with Taiwan because the TRA provides the authorities to carry out our unofficial relationship,” Kritenbrink said. “We have the framework we need. We do not need to change it. What we need is to respond to the present moment, using all the tools at our disposal.”

The TRA was enacted in April 1979 after the administration of then US President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People’s Republic of China.

Since then, the Act has served as the legal framework for Washington to guide its unofficial relations with Taipei, including the US’ sales of defensive arms to Taiwan.