GOP lawmakers recently introduced legislation that would prevent federal agencies from referring to Taiwan as “Chinese Taipei.”
The bill was introduced by Reps. Byron Donald’s (R-FL), Keith Self (R-TX), Barry Moore (R-AL), and Tom Tiffany (R-WI), as well as Del. James Moylan of Guam, as reported by the Daily Caller.
The legislation, dubbed the “Taiwan Identification Terminology and Label Enhancement Act,” (TITLE), “decries the United States Government’s use of ‘Chinese Taipei’ nomenclature.”
If passed, the bill would force federal agencies to begin using “Taiwan” in place of “Chinese Taipei” no later than two weeks after its enactment, per the Daily Caller. The legislation allows exceptions for the usage of “Chinese Taipei” only in cases of historical context or in the formal title of a federal document.
“The Chinese Communist Party in the People’s Republic of China seeks to control Taiwan through means of persuasion and coercion, and potentially compellance,” the TITLE Act reads.
🚨EXCLUSIVE🚨
The Chinese Communist Party seeks to control Taiwan through persuasion, coercion, & potentially compellance.
My bill, H.R. 5630 – "The TITLE Act" will compel US federal agencies to use “Taiwan” in place of “Chinese Taipei” no later than 14 days after enactment. https://t.co/EextD7l5EN
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) September 22, 2023
According to the TITLE Act, the U.S. must “maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
“The People’s Republic of China refers to Taiwan as a ‘region’ and to the President of Taiwan as ‘the leader of the Taiwan region,’ illustrating the People’s Republic of China’s mistaken view that Taiwan is a region of China,” the TITLE Act reads.
For years, the Chinese Communist Party has rejected the sovereignty of Taiwan, having regarded the country as merely being a “region” of China, which has long flirted with the idea of invading Taiwan.
“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, told the Daily Caller. “China’s position on the Taiwan question is consistent and clear. The greatest threat to cross-Strait peace is ‘Taiwan independence’ forces and foreign connivance and support for their activities.”
“We strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and the utmost effort, but have the right to take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard our sovereignty and security,” Pengyu added.
The GOP-led bill states that “many Taiwanese individuals see the ‘Chinese Taipei’ nomenclature as a symbol of oppression from the People’s Republic of China.”
