ACTION ALERT:
Rep. Tiffany Maps Out Aggression on China

CODEPINK

WASHINGTON, DC (March 20, 2022) — While Congress was focused on providing funds to federal agencies, as well as military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) was focused on mapping out aggression on China.

By introducing an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act that prohibits any funds to create, procure or display any map that depicts Taiwan as part of China, Tiffany has violated the decades-long US foreign policy of strategic ambiguity and unofficial relations with Taiwan.

This policy, called the One China policy, helped establish Sino-American relations. This amendment was sneaky because it would be unwise to vote against such an enormous spending bill due to one amendment. 

Rep. Tiffany called it a recognition of “Beijing’s bogus argument that Taiwan is part of Communist China,” saying America should abandon this policy, using this amendment to “stop perpetuating the One China lie.” Rep. Tiffany has made it clear that he wants to undo the agreement by deciding the sovereignty of Taiwan by himself without the input of the Chinese and Taiwanese people themselves.

While the Appropriations Act bill has passed into law, we cannot let future bills sneak in provisions that undermine international agreements, especially by a nation set on a ‘rules based order’. We still must challenge Tiffany’s unilateral decision-making, which undermines Sino-Chinese relations and other countries’ confidence in bilateral and diplomatic agreements with the US.

ACTION: Join us in asking Rep. Tiffany: Why are you mapping out aggression on China? And answer in the comments section of the petition: if you could rewrite any international agreement with a bill amendment, what would it be?

The Stability of the One China Policy

The One China policy resulted from the Shanghai Communique signed in 1972, the first of the Three Communiques that were foundational to modern Sino-American relations.

In the Shanghai Communique, the US acknowledges “there is but one China and that Taiwan is part of China,” and the two countries affirmed that they would “… conduct their relations on the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, non-aggression against other states, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.”

These agreements have strengthened bilateral ties, normalized diplomatic relations, and opened trade and communication. Rep. Tiffany’s amendment serves to inflame tensions across the Taiwan Strait by undermining this principle of US-China relations, poking the proverbial bear.

Whether or not Taiwan is a sovereign nation should not be decided upon by US politicians — that is up to the Chinese and Taiwanese parties.

Rather than inflaming military aggression, such as provisions in the Innovation Act sitting in Congress that declare Taiwan a national priority and propose to train and arm Taiwanese military troops, the US should be encouraging peaceful and diplomatic solutions.

The Innovation Act, waiting to be reconciled and passed in Congress, contains militaristic provisions that similarly inflame tensions across the Taiwan Strait and deter peaceful, conciliatory and diplomatic solutions and relations, including the US supporting Taiwan’s implementation of its asymmetric defense strategy and conducting regular transfers of defense articles to Taiwan.

If you would like to oppose the militaristic provisions in the Innovation Act, and promote more cooperative US-China relations, contact your member of Congress here.

Onward toward peace,
Alli, Jodie, the CODEPINK China Is Not Our Enemy campaign, and CODEPINK

Bringing the Anti-war Movement to DC:
Join the Poor People’s Campaign on June 18th

CODEPINK is bringing the anti-war movement to Washington, D.C. the weekend of June 18th to expose the cost of militarism at the Poor People’s Campaign historic mobilization, march and rally. We will weave the message of peace and #CutThePentagon while holding teach-ins on the costs of war and working meetings to plan our strategies for the fall.

Many are coming from across the country but we want to ensure that some can come who can’t afford it, the warmongers in Washington DC need to feel us. We hope you can attend; but if not you can make sure you are represented with one of our Peace Collective members or CODEPINK old-timers on Social Security.

We plan on bringing CODEPINKers who have been with us since the early 2000’s and members of our brand new Peace Collective, CODEPINK’s youth cohort. We are fundraising to send the future of the peace movement to DC to continue their organizing and build relationships with peace activists who have been doing this work for decades.

You can send a young peace activist to the Poor People’s Campaign’s in D.C. for $100-$250, depending on where they are coming from (we have members all over the United States).

We are also using this fundraiser to send lifelong CODEPINKers to DC to be a part of the march! Building a movement that is powerful and lasts well after we are gone requires intergenerational solidarity. You can send a lifelong CODEPINKer to DC by donating $100-$250