Members of the US House of Representatives from across party lines on Monday introduced the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019 and House Resolution No. 273, titled “Reaffirming the United States commitment to Taiwan and to the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act.”
The resolution followed the introduced in the US Senate last week of a similar bill, sponsored by US Senator Tom Cotton and five others, dedicated to “the foster[ing of] security in Taiwan and other purposes.”
The resolution reaffirms that the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances are and will remain cornerstones of US relations with Taiwan.
US officials at all levels will be encouraged to travel and meet with their counterparts in Taiwan and for high-level Taiwan officials to enter the US and meet with US officials, per the Taiwan Travel Act, the resolution says.
The US president should conduct regular transfers of defense articles to Taiwan consistent with Taiwan’s national security requirements in accordance to prior legislation, including the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018, it says.
The proposed act states that it is a sense of Congress that Taiwan is a vital part of the US’ free and open Indo-Pacific strategy and that the US government should support Taiwan’s implementation of its asymmetric defense strategy, including undersea warfare and air defense capabilities, into its military forces.
It is standing US policy to advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN, the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization, and other 18 international bodies as appropriate, the act says.
The US president should, no later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019, conduct a review of the US Department of State’s guidance on diplomatic practice with Taiwan, it says.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington said that the resolution and bill carry significant meaning at a juncture when Chinese jets have blatantly breached the median line.
Two Chinese J-11 fighter jets crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait at about 11am on Sunday.
The office thanked the US Congress for its long-time support and drive for continued deepening of US-Taiwan relations.
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