美国国会众议员拉贾·克里希纳莫蒂(Raja Krishnamoorthi)何许人也?

美国华网转发《芝加哥华语论坛》快讯并评论:刚刚收到张大卫社长发来的快讯“侨胞们要注意这一篇报道”。读起来总感觉摸不着头脑,不知道快讯要求侨胞们注意什么东西?为什么要去注意一篇报道?一篇报道有什么值得注意的地方?读者不喜欢读那些需要猜来猜去的文章或报道。有什么就说什么?读者没有时间陪你猜谜语。我读快讯感觉不怎么爽,因为我也算是芝加哥的一个“华人华侨”,可是我对那个被快讯称之为“熟知的联邦众议员”拉贾·克里希纳莫蒂(Raja Krishnamoorthi)真的是一点也不认识,谈何“熟知”?只是最近参加了两个活动才见到了这个“熟知”。

不读快讯不知道,一读吓一跳。原来这个“熟知”来头不一般,刚刚去访问台湾拜访蔡英文。去之前参加华联会春晚,一回芝加哥就来参加饺子宴。饺子宴上这个美国国会议员在被邀请上台致辞时,闭口不谈他刚刚访问台湾的事宜,这就非常说明他就是一个两面三刀表面一套背后一套的小人。他知道目前芝加哥华人选民从大陆来的侨胞占大多数的事实。芝加哥侨社正在筹办支持他连任国会议员的筹款会。(请看下面广告样板)。

快讯发出去后,立即得到社区人士反应。一位饺子宴与会者(曾经担任商会会长)向记者反应说,有人在饺子宴上向他拉票。他根本就不了解这个拉贾议员是什么样的人。现在知道了。他说中国人是有底线的。反台独是所有中国人的底线。他表示绝对不会捐款给这个“熟知议员”拉贾。

这不是吗?快讯所要求侨胞注意的问题终于出来了?首先侨胞需要清楚这个国会议员是否支持台独?如果明确这个“熟知”的联邦众议员确实是支持台独的,侨胞们是否应该为他捐款,手中的选票是否要投给他,支持他连任国会议员,让他继续在美国国会里面搞支持台独的勾当?

有芝加哥华文媒体的人士表示,如果再有机会在芝加哥华人社区活动中遇到这个拉贾议员,就会当面质问他对一个中国的态度和是否支持台独的立场。让他亲自亲口向芝加哥华人选民说清楚,给选民一个交代。

以下是拉贾·克里希纳莫蒂(Raja Krishnamoorthi)访问台湾与蔡英文合影照片和照片说明。拉贾·克里希纳莫蒂(Raja Krishnamoorthi)参加芝加哥华人社区活动的照片和华人社区支持拉贾·克里希纳莫蒂(Raja Krishnamoorthi)筹款会广告样板。

美联社在发表拉贾议员访问台湾新闻报道时发的照片和说明In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, right, meets with Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, center, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D.-Ill., in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)

拉贾访问台湾时与赖清德合影

拉贾议员在华联会春晚上致辞照片

拉贾议员在华联会春晚节目册上发的贺信

丘超辉会长在华联会春晚节目册上为拉贾议员拉赞助活动做的广告

拉贾议员参加饺子宴现场致辞

下面转发《芝加哥华语论坛》快讯和美联社原报道。

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快讯:侨胞们要注意这一篇报道

(《芝加哥华语论坛》报快讯)2月22日上午,美联社发表了一条新闻,我们放在下面,希望大家都看一看。该新闻翻译中文时我们没有仔细推敲,但主要意思是清楚的。为什么要看?因为新闻里提到的这位拉贾·克里希纳莫蒂(Raja Krishnamoorthi)是我们华侨华人的熟知的联邦众议员。

他是我们社区许多重大的活动的首席贵宾,而且每来必做演讲。但是,有读者告诉我们,需要看看他的历史,就知道他在台湾问题上是在做什么,是何许人,为什么如此亲台而一直不遗余力。

台湾问题是涉及国家核心利益的核心问题,我们绝不能和这样的议员和官员们搞在一起,没有界限。甚至把他们奉为贵宾,而要与以任何形式支持“台独”并以“民主”为名反华的人们坚决划清界限,并进行有理有利有节的斗争。据说,有著名“爱国侨领”下个月还将要为此议员大搞支持筹款活动,走得太远了吧?


美联社:克里希纳莫提与国会议员联袂出访赞扬台湾民主;访问肯定会引起中国的仔细审查

台湾台北(美联社)——周四,一群美国国会议员会见了台湾总统,展示了两党的支持,这肯定会引起中国的密切关注,中国反对此类访问,并将其视为对其主权主张的挑战的自治岛。

两年前,时任众议院议长南希·佩洛西访问台湾,导致中国向台湾岛四周派遣军舰和军机,并向附近海域发射弹道导弹。

周四与台湾总统蔡英文会面时,众议院中国共产党特别委员会共和党主席迈克·加拉格尔(Mike Gallagher)众议员强调了两党对美台伙伴关系的支持,他称这种伙伴关系“更强大、更强大”。现在比以往任何时候都坚如磐石。”

与大多数国家一样,美国并未正式承认台湾是一个国家,但与台湾保持着牢固的非正式关系,并受美国法律约束,向台湾提供自卫所需的武器。

加拉格尔感谢蔡英文在台湾的领导地位,以及她“作为自由世界领导人”的杰出表现。蔡英文的第二个也是最后一个任期即将结束。

蔡英文感谢美国继续帮助台湾加强自卫能力。她说:“我们正在共同捍卫自由和民主,维护地区和平。”她补充说,她希望看到美国和台湾在一系列领域有更多的交流。
外交部发言人毛宁在北京表示,中方反对美台开展任何形式的官方往来。她说:“台湾是中国领土不可分割的一部分。”

该代表团由威斯康星州共和党人加拉格尔和伊利诺伊州民主党人拉贾·克里希纳莫蒂率领,预计将在台湾停留三天,作为印度太平洋地区更大规模访问的一部分。其他成员包括密歇根州共和党众议员约翰·莫勒纳尔 (John Moolenaar);达斯蒂·约翰逊,RS.D;和塞思·莫尔顿(Seth Moulton),马萨诸塞州民主党人。

这个两党代表团由一些国会最坚定的中国批评者组成,将与台湾其他高级领导人和民间社会成员会面,讨论美台关系、地区安全和贸易以及其他共同关心的问题。

克里希纳莫蒂表示,在赖清德当选台湾当选总统后,台湾是美国“最亲密的朋友”之一,也是民主的榜样,并誓言维护台湾事实上的独立性,并进一步与其他国家民主结盟。

“它是世界上最强大、最有活力、最令人兴奋的民主国家之一,”克里希纳莫蒂说。“今年,当世界上一半的人口将前往投票站投票时,你们为如何进行选举提供了榜样,为此我们向你们和平移交权力表示敬意,你们是一个榜样。民主的榜样”。

克里希纳莫提是众议院特别委员会中国共产党的民主党高层。该委员会成立于 2023 年,举行了多次听证会,重点关注人权、贸易、网络入侵以及两个超级大国之间日益紧张的紧张关系的其他核心问题。

2月初,美国商务部宣布,墨西哥二十多年来首次超过中国,成为美国进口商品的主要来源国。2023 年,时任众议院议长凯文·麦卡锡在美国本土举行了一次罕见的高层会议,接待了台湾总统。

对台湾的支持反映出,随着两国经济关系恶化,国会中许多人越来越愿意在一系列问题上与中国对抗。

台湾外交部长吴钊燮在会后的新闻发布会上表示,台湾一直面临着来自中国的“混合”压力,特别是在军事和经济领域。

加拉格尔说,台湾从美国两党获得的支持是防止与中国发生军事冲突的堡垒。
但他补充说,像台湾和美国这样的民主国家虽然有时很混乱,但仍然“不可战胜”。

台湾是2月13日在参议院通过的950亿美元援助计划的一部分,但在众议院却陷入停滞。该计划主要针对乌克兰和以色列,其中包括 19 亿美元用于补充美国向台湾提供的武器。另外33亿美元将用于建造更多美国制造的潜艇,以支持与澳大利亚和英国的安全伙伴关系。

以下是美联社2月22日报道

POLITICS

Krishnamoorthi Co-Leads Congress Members in Trip Praising Taiwan’s Democracy; Visit Certain to Draw China’s Scrutiny

Associated Press | February 22, 2024 10:43 am

   

In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, right, meets with Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, center, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D.-Ill., in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, right, meets with Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, center, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D.-Ill., in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A group of United States Congress members met with Taiwan’s president Thursday in a show of bipartisan support that is certain to draw scrutiny from China, which opposes such visits and sees them as a challenge to its claim of sovereignty over the self-governing island.

Two years ago, a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan resulted in China dispatching warships and military aircraft to all sides of the democratic island, and firing ballistic missiles into the waters nearby.

In a meeting Thursday with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, highlighted the bipartisan support for the U.S.-Taiwan partnership, which he described as “stronger and more rock-solid than ever now.”

The U.S., like most countries, doesn’t formally recognize Taiwan as a country but maintains robust informal relations with the island and is bound by its own laws to provide it with the weapons it needs to defend itself.

Gallagher thanked Tsai, who is nearing the end of her second and last term in office, for her leadership in Taiwan and for distinguishing herself “as a leader within the free world.”

Tsai thanked the U.S. for continuing to help Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities.

“Together we are safeguarding freedom and democracy and maintaining regional peace,” she said, adding that she hoped to see more exchanges between the U.S. and Taiwan in a range of domains.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China opposes any form of official exchange between the U.S. and Taiwan. “Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” she said.

The delegation, led by Gallagher, R-Wis., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D.-Ill., was expected to be in Taiwan for three days as part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region. Other members include Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich.; Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.; and Seth Moulton, D-Mass.

Consisting of some of Congress’ staunchest critics of China, the bipartisan delegation was to meet with other senior Taiwanese leaders and members of civil society to discuss U.S.-Taiwan relations, regional security and trade, among other issues of mutual interest.

Krishnamoorthi said Taiwan is one of the United States’ “closest friends” and a role model for democracy, after Lai Ching-te emerged victorious as Taiwan’s president-elect and vowed to safeguard the island’s de facto independence from China and further align it with other democracies.

“It’s one of the most robust, most vibrant, one of the most exciting democracies in the world,” Krishnamoorthi said. “And this year, when half of the world’s population will be going to the polls to vote, you provided a role model for how elections should be conducted, and for that we salute you on this peaceful transfer of power, and you are an exemplar of democracy.”

Krishnamoorthi is the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party’s ranking Democrat. The committee was formed in 2023 and has held numerous hearings focused on human rights, trade, cyber intrusions and other issues central to the rising tensions between the two superpowers.

Earlier in February, the Commerce Department announced that for the first time in more than two decades, Mexico surpassed China as the leading source of goods imported by the United States. In 2023, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Taiwan’s president in a rare high-level meeting on U.S. soil.

The shows of support for Taiwan reflect the growing willingness by many in Congress to confront China on a range of issues as economic relations between the two nations deteriorate.

Taiwan has been under “hybrid” pressure from China, especially in the military and economic spheres, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said at a news conference following the meeting.

The support Taiwan receives from both parties in the U.S. is a bulwark against military conflict with China, Gallagher said.

But, he added, democracies like those in Taiwan and the U.S., while sometimes messy, remain “unbeatable.”

Taiwan was part of the $95-billion aid package that passed the Senate on Feb. 13, but has stalled in the House. That package, which focused on Ukraine and Israel, included $1.9 billion to replenish U.S. weapons provided to Taiwan. Another $3.3 billion would go to build more U.S.-made submarines in support of a security partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom.