Balart Leads Bipartisan Congressional Taiwan Caucus’ Condemnation of Chinese Threats to Taiwanese Citizens

US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) recently led the bipartisan Congressional Taiwan Caucus (CTC) in condemning new Chinese regulations aimed at Taiwanese citizens.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently enacted a series of guidelines that include the death-penalty for Taiwanese individuals found to support their state’s independence.

Taiwan, which, despite lack of official US recognition, is a de facto independent nation, raised its travel advisory alerts for China to orange-the second highest level-following the new regulations.

Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council deputy head Liang Wen-chieh reportedly claimed the new Chinese regulations could seriously threaten the safety of Taiwanese citizens traveling to mainland China.

The CTC released a statement denouncing the CCP’s latest Taiwan guidelines.

“We strongly condemn the recent guidelines by the People's Republic of China, which include allowing the death penalty for individuals deemed advocates of Taiwan independence and finding them guilty in absentia,” reads the statement.

China’s looming threat to Taiwan has expanded in recent years as the former increases political, military, and economic pressure on the latter given the CCP’s belief the island belongs to them.

The CCP has openly and directly denied Taiwan’s right to exist, and tensions between the two states recently augmented after Taiwan elected a prolific anti-CCP candidate for president.

The US, one of Taiwan’s largest economic allies, has repeatedly signaled its opposition to Chinese encroachments on Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Last May, several Democrat and Republican US Senators and Representatives coalesced to bolster US-Taiwan defense cooperation.

The lawmakers, which included Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), proposed the TAIWAN Security Act to solidify US-Taiwan military cooperation and promote supply chain security.

“It is no secret that Communist China’s evil dictator, Xi Jinping, is planning to invade Taiwan and continue his attacks against democracy in a quest for world domination,” said Senator Scott.“The United States cannot sit back and let this happen, and that starts with supporting our peaceful and democratic ally Taiwan and its military.