美國加州改變台灣政策

California changes
Taiwanese policy

HOUSE INITIATIVE:：Two representatives are calling on US
President Barack Obama to restore diplomatic relations with Taiwan and push for its full
participation in the UN

By William Lowther /
Staff reporter in Washington

Sun, May 06, 2012 -
Page 1

California has changed
its policy and will now allow Taiwanese Americans to list their place of birth
as “Taiwan” when they register to vote rather than “Taiwan, Province of China.”

The move was made less
than a week after California Democratic Representative Howard Berman wrote a
letter of protest.

“Today is a victory
for the Taiwanese-American community in California,” Berman said.

“An unfortunate wrong was righted and when Taiwanese
Americans register to vote in California. No longer will they have to list
‘Taiwan, Province of China’ as their country of birth,” he said.

California Secretary
of State Debra Bowen had resisted making a change — despite protests
from Taiwanese Americans — until Berman became involved.

In 1994, Berman was
responsible for a bill that for the first time allowed Taiwanese Americans to
list Taiwan rather than China as their birthplace when applying for a US
passport.

“It is incontestable
reality that Taiwan is not a province of China,” Formosan Association
of Public Affairs (FAPA) president Mark Kao (高龍榮) said.

“If American citizens travel to Taiwan, the
Chinese embassy is unable to issue a visa to Taiwan,” he said.

In other developments,
a legislative draft calling on US President Barack Obama to resume normal
diplomatic relations with Taiwan and “aggressively support” Taiwan’s full
participation in the UN will be introduced in the US House of Representatives
tomorrow.

The new resolution is
being jointly co-sponsored by Republican Representative Michael McCaul and
Democrat Representative Robert Andrews.

Washington cut
diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 when then-US president Jimmy Carter
formally recognized China. Carter acted without consulting the US Congress or
seeking its approval.

“Taiwan is a vibrant
democracy and has been a steadfast ally of the United States and a
compassionate member of the international community,” McCaul said.

“Obama should support
a ‘one China, one Taiwan’ policy that gives legitimacy to our Taiwanese friends
and partners,” he said.

“It is time the US
government acknowledged Taiwan as the sovereign and independent state that it
is,” Andrews said. “Throughout our history we have supported the right to self
determination for sovereign peoples throughout the world. In the case of
Taiwan, it is time to stand on that principle once again.”

Taiwan is one of only
five countries in the world with which the US does not have diplomatic
relations. The others are Bhutan, Cuba, Iran and North Korea.

While the resolution
to resume normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan has no chance of passing at
this time, it is considered important as a way to remind the US Congress of
Taiwan’s status.

“There is enormous
sympathy for the island,” FAPA official Coen Blaauw said. “A great many members
of Congress are appalled that democratic Taiwan is linked with such bad actors
as Cuba, Iran and North Korea.”

Published on Taipei
Times :

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2012/05/06/2003532103