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U.S. congressman reaffirms importance of Taiwan Relations Act

ROC Central News Agency

2014/02/20 16:57:27

Taipei, Feb. 20 (CNA) The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs said Thursday during a meeting with President Ma Ying-jeou that he intends to propose a bill to reaffirm the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) before the Act's 35th anniversary.

Ed Royce, along with eight members of the committee, met Ma at the Presidential Office.

Royce noted that April 10 marks the enactment of the TRA in 1979 and said he will propose such a bill in the House of Representatives.

Royce said he was happy to see that Taiwan-U.S. relations have been enhanced over the past few years and he expressed hope that new breakthroughs will be made in the future.

If Taiwan can participate in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact, it could help boost the country's economic development, benefiting not only Taiwan but also generating more investment and trade opportunities overseas, including in his own congressional district in California, Royce noted.

He also said he is interested in Taiwan's efforts to reduce tension in the Asia-Pacific region, saying that this could create more investment opportunities, boost economic growth and increase stability in the region.

Royce said he will travel to Taiwan's oldest city, Tainan, during his current visit to gain a better understanding of the island, and will lead more members of the House of Representatives on visits to Taiwan to allow them to realize the cordiality between Taiwan and the United States.

During the meeting, Ma said that the historic meeting earlier this month between Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi and China's Taiwan Affairs Office Director Zhang Zhijun, the top officials in charge of cross-Taiwan Strait affairs on each side of the strait, attracted significant attention from domestic and foreign media outlets, showing that cross-strait relations have moved a step forward. (Kelvin Huang and Evelyn Kao)

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