The resolution was adopted on Tuesday by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives and now goes to a full vote in the lower chamber of Congress.

A parallel resolution is in the works in the Senate.

The US government, eager to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, is wary of hosting top-level Taiwanese officials.

Even US transit stops by Taiwanese politicians, such as one by President Chen Shui-bian en route to Central America in January, are guaranteed to irk Beijing, which considers Taiwan a renegade province.

Mr Chen has used the stops to meet US politicians and raise the island's profile in the American media - part of his efforts to counter Beijing's efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.

The resolution's sponsor in the House, Republican Steve Chabot, said it was time to send a clear message to Beijing over Taiwan.

'It is terribly unfortunate that democratically elected officials from Taiwan are not permitted to visit our nation's capital - while the unelected leaders of communist China are given the red-carpet treatment,' he said.

'Taiwan is our loyal friend and ally, a strong trading partner and a vibrant democracy. Our current policy is insulting to Taiwan and sends a wrong signal to the rest of the world.'

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS