US to sanction countries
MBABANE – Are you aware of the Taipei Act? It’s a law that was passed by the United States to protect Taiwan from nations that unjustly cut ties with it, in most cases, to establish diplomatic relations with Mainland China.
Such severing of ties with Taiwan is viewed by the (USA) as undermining Taiwan, a practice America would not tolerate with a smile.
Though passed during Donald Trump’s administration, current President Joe Biden has kept the law active.
Eswatini is the only African country that maintains diplomatic relations with the island with over 23 million people. The Taipei Act provides that the United States US Government is expected to do the following to ensure stability in the Island;
◗ Support Taiwan in strengthening its official diplomatic relationships as well as unofficial partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world; Consider, in certain cases as appropriate and in alignment with United States interests, increasing its economic, security, and diplomatic engagements with nations that have demonstrably strengthened, enhanced, or upgraded relations with Taiwan;
Consider in certain cases as appropriate and in alignment with United States interests, reducing its economic, security, and diplomatic engagement with nations that take serious or significant actions to undermine Taiwan; As it were, the law makes it very difficult for any country to cut ties with Taiwan. This is due to the fact that the USA can impose economic sanctions on the kingdom for its decision by reducing its economic engagement with the monarchy if found to have unjustly undermined its relations with the Island.
The country, formerly Swaziland, has several USA markets, which include AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) and Generalised Systems of Preferences (GSP), with the latter enabling the country to export
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According to the Taipei Act, the US can also reduce its security engagement with a country that undermines Taiwan, which America views as an independent nation. A source said ‘security engagement’ could mean banning Eswatini from buying guns from the USA. The law is called Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (Taipei) Act of 2019. By implication, the Taipei Act of the USA strengthens the kingdom’s diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The relations have been in existence for the past 53 years.
In 2019, US senators passed the law at a time when the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was using its growing economic, diplomatic and military clout to intimidate and isolate Republic of China on Taiwan, known as ROC.
Political observers opined that the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act was passed unanimously with one amendment on October 29, 2019.
On March 26, 2020, the law got approval from the House of Representatives.
It is aimed at intensifying the government's support for the island nation with a carrots-and-sticks approach, ramping up ‘economic, security, and diplomatic engagement’ with countries that have ‘strengthened, enhanced, or upgraded relations with Taiwan.’ According to the Act, it is the policy of the US to preserve and promote extensive, close and friendly commercial, cultural and other relations between the United States and the people of Taiwan.
The Taipei Act of 2019 refers to the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. Section 2 of the Taipei Act reads: “The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 states that it is the policy of the United States ‘to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardise the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan’.
Section 1 (3) provides that Taiwan is a free, democratic and prosperous nation with 23 million people and an ‘important contributor to peace and stability around the world.’
Section 1 (6) is concerned about the undermining of Taiwan in that since 2016, Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Solomon Islands and Kiribati severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favour of a relationship with China.
The law states that Taiwan currently maintains full diplomatic relations with 15 nations around the world. Eswatini is one of those nations. In fact, the kingdom is the only country in Africa with diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Section 1 (4) of the Taipei Act points out that since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen as President of Taiwan in 2016, the government of the People’s Republic of China has intensified its efforts to pressure Taiwan.
It is stated in the Act that Taiwan’s unofficial relations with the United States, Australia, India, Japan, and other countries are of significant benefit in strengthening its economy and preserving its international space.
Reads Section 1 (8) of the Act: “According to President Tsai Ingwen, the severance of diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of diplomatic relations with China is ‘part of a series of diplomatic and military acts of coercion” by China.’
The new law complements the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 of the US which states that - it is United States policy’to support the close economic, political, and security relationship between Taiwan and the United States’ and the president (referring to US president) should—
◗ “Conduct regular transfers of defence articles to Taiwan that are tailored to meet the existing and likely future threats from the People’s Republic of China, including supporting the efforts of Taiwan to develop and integrate asymmetric capabilities, as appropriate, including mobile, survivable, and cost-effective capabilities, into its military forces”; and
◗ “Encourage the travel of high-level United States officials to Taiwan, in accordance with the Taiwan Travel Act.”
The law further states that it should be the policy of the United States—
By implication, the Taipei Act of the USA strengthens the kingdom’s diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The relations have been in existence for the past 53 years.”
(1) to advocate, as appropriate—
(a) For Taiwan’s membership in all international organisations in which statehood is not a requirement and in which the United States is also a participant; and
(b) For Taiwan to be granted observer status in other appropriate international organisations;
(2) To instruct, as appropriate, representatives of the United States Government in all organisations described in paragraph (1) to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to advocate for Taiwan’s membership or observer status in such organisations; and
(3) For the president or the president's designees to advocate, as appropriate, for Taiwan’s membership or observer status in all organisations described in paragraph (1) as part of any relevant bilateral engagements between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, including leader summits and the US-China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue.
It is mentioned that it is the sense of the congress that the United States should engage in bilateral trade negotiations with Taiwan, with the goal of entering into a free trade agreement that is of mutual economic benefit and that protects United States workers and benefits United States exporters.
Mduduzi Gina, the Secretary General of the Trade Unions Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA), said he was not aware of the Taipei Act, but it looked like a bad law.
He said it took away sovereign rights