TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Formosan Association for Public Affairs launched a petition campaign on Monday to support the Taiwan Representative Office Act (TROA), a pro-Taiwan bill introduced in Congress.

The TROA, introduced on March 12 by Senator John Curtis and Senator Jeff Merkley seeks to rename Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the US from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office to the Taiwan Representative Office, per CNA. Curtis emphasized that this change would help the US public better understand that these offices represent Taiwan, not just economic interests in Taipei.

FAPA announced its petition drive to move the bill through the 119th US Congress and have it signed into law. FAPA President Kao Su-mei (林素梅) told CNA that the bill has garnered bipartisan support, citing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's backing of a previous TRO proposal.

The Biden administration had considered renaming TECRO to TRO but decided against the move, with internal opposition calling it a “symbolic gesture” that could escalate tensions between China, the US, and Taiwan. However, Kao disagreed with this assessment.

She argued that, given China’s growing military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan, renaming TECRO would strengthen US recognition of Taiwan’s sovereignty and further solidify Taiwan’s international presence. She also suggested that this action could encourage other allies to follow suit, boosting Taiwan’s global status.

FAPA has long advocated for the name change, urging US lawmakers to support the switch during Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) presidency. FAPA has also backed the bipartisan Taiwan Policy Act of 2021 and pushed for the passage of the TROA of 2022 and 2023, supported by Rubio and Curtis.