Republicans turn up the heat on State Department for not inviting Taiwan to upcoming Asia summit

FIRST ON FOX: A group of dozens of House Republicans are reiterating a demand that the State Department extend an invitation to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to an upcoming global summit in California.

In a letter Tuesday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 25 Republicans led by Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, argued Taiwan deserved a seat at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in San Francisco. They stated that Taiwan is a full APEC member in good standing and “deserves fair and equal treatment on par with other APEC member states.”

“APEC’s mission to create greater prosperity for the people within the Asia-Pacific region through a balanced and inclusive forum also allows the United States to address business concerns, promote high standards in trade and commerce, and facilitate economic growth,” the GOP lawmakers wrote. “Taiwan has made significant strides with economic, cultural, and technological contributions in not just the Asia-Pacific region but also around the world.”

“Withholding an invitation to President Tsai Ing-wen for the APEC leaders’ summit shortly after making major economic and trade commitments would undo years of bilateral progress with Taiwan and portray our government as hypocritical to the rest of the world,” they said.

MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SUPPORT INCREASING

View Source