We are very disappointed to learn that Sen. Ed Markey has led a new Congressional delegation on an official visit to Taiwan, only 12 days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did the same. This delegation is unhelpful and unnecessary.
The United States should not be a party to the issues between China and Taiwan. Our role should be to insist that these problems be resolved peacefully.
Our One China policy dictates that the United States does not have formal political relations with Taiwan, but only economic and cultural ties. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has undermined the One China policy, removing from the State Department website statements that the U.S. “does not support independence” for Taiwan and that “Taiwan is part of China”.
We call for Senator Markey and all in the Massachusetts congressional delegation to reaffirm the United States One China policy, speak out against escalation with China, support diplomacy, oppose new arms shipments from the United States to Taiwan, and speak out against provocative military exercises and bases near China.
We cannot afford to divide the world into camps or to pursue another struggle between great powers for supremacy. This thinking has no place in the 21st century. We cannot defeat imminent climate catastrophe or prepare for health threats like the COVID-19 pandemic without cooperation between the U.S. and China.
