Washington, DC [US], May 19 : US Senator Ted Cruz has called on the State Department to lift restrictions on displaying symbols of Taiwan's sovereignty, including its flag, on US soil, Taiwan News reported.
During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Cruz expressed concerns over the Biden administration's policy, which he believes is influenced by China's pressure.
Cruz criticised longstanding policies he said were shaped by undue deference to the Chinese government, and urged a return to previous Trump-era decisions that permitted Taiwan greater symbolic representation.
The State Department's policy, dating back to the Obama administration, restricts Taiwan's ability to display symbols of sovereignty.
The hearing was convened to review the nominations of Christopher Pratt as assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, and Michael George DeSombre as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs - two posts with major implications for Taiwan. Pratt's portfolio would include arms transfers, while DeSombre would be a key player in shaping broader US policy toward Taiwan, CNA reported.
Cruz stated, "The Chinese Communist Party is working every day to erode Taiwan's status globally." He pointed to the origins of the current policy, tracing it to the Obama administration's "acquiescence to the Chinese embassy," which resulted in a US ban on Taiwan displaying its sovereign symbols.
ruz has long advocated for reversing this policy and introduced the Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty Act in 2019.
"I fought against that policy. I pushed legislation reversing that policy, language that has been repeatedly advanced and received bipartisan support in this committee," Cruz said. "It is the repeated explicit policy coming out of this committee to reverse that policy."
He noted that while the Trump administration had relaxed these restrictions during its first term, the Biden administration later reinstated them. Cruz asked DeSombre to articulate the significance of strengthening ties with Washington's "Taiwan allies," as Beijing escalates diplomatic pressure, reported Taiwan News.
Michael George DeSombre, nominee for assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, described Taiwan as a "great partner" and pledged to strengthen US-Taiwan ties.
DeSombre responded that Taiwan was the first foreign country he lived in after graduating from Stanford, and he has since maintained a 28-year business relationship with it. Calling Taiwan a "great partner of ours," DeSombre said that the US should work to reinforce this partnership further and build broader support for Taiwan globally.
Cruz urged DeSombre to help restore Trump-era practices regarding the display of Taiwan's flag and uniforms in the United States. "The Obama, Biden caving to Communist China policy is not a good one and not one that the Trump administration should be following," he said.
In 2019, Cruz introduced the Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty Act, also known as the Taiwan SOS Act, which proposed allowing Taiwan's military and diplomatic personnel to wear uniforms and display the national flag while on duty in the US. Then-Senator and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported the measure in 2020, framing it as a needed response to China's intensifying attempts to isolate Taiwan.
The committee also discussed the backlog of weapons shipments to Taiwan, with Senator Pete Ricketts introducing the PORCUPINE Act to expedite arms sales.
Christopher Pratt, nominee for assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, pledged to review the bill and support Taiwan's security needs.
Separately, when asked by Senator Pete Ricketts how to address delays in weapons deliveries to Taiwan, Christopher Pratt said that Taiwan "perhaps faces the most asymmetric threat in the history of the world in its northern neighbour."
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