Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., challenged President Joe Biden on Thursday in a Washington Examiner op-ed to protect democracy in Taiwan against communist China.
“With communist China’s domination of Hong Kong essentially complete, its eyes are already turning to Taiwan,” the senator wrote. “It is now more important than ever for President Joe Biden to work with our allies to contain Beijing’s reach and protect the freedom and security of Taiwan.”
Taiwan has operated as a democratic nation for more than 50 years. The U.S. has held diplomatic relations with the nation since 1979.
Sen. Scott and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., introduced the Taiwan Invasion Prevention Act (S. 332), “[t]o authorize the President to use military force for the purpose of securing and defending Taiwan against armed attack, and for other purposes.”
The act’s multiple policies include the mandate “to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States.”
Scott’s op-ed highlights, however, Biden’s “abysmal” record regarding Taiwan:
“In 1999, then-Sen. Biden opposed the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, arguing it would upset Washington’s relationship with China,” Scott said. “In a 2001 op-ed, he criticized the idea that the U.S. should firmly stand behind Taiwan and declare its commitment to defend the island in the face of Chinese military action.”
On March 25, the Biden administration announced a Coast Guard Working Group with Taiwan as Biden’s first agreement with the nation.
The welcome policy intends to serve as a countermeasure to China’s law that allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels.
Scott welcomed the measure, along with the recent Biden meeting with Asia-Pacific leaders. He concluded, “Working together, the freedom-loving nations of the world can prevent what happened in Hong Kong from being repeated in Taiwan.”
