The US House of Representatives is to vote on two bills related to Taiwan today, aiming to lift restrictions on bilateral engagement and encourage Taiwan’s international participation.
The proposals would amend bills originally signed by US President Donald Trump in his first term, the 2020 Taiwan Assurance Act and the 2019 Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act.
The current Taiwan Assurance Act required the US Department of State to conduct a review of US-Taiwan relations within 180 days of its passing, submitting its findings to the Committee on Foreign Relations within the US Senate and the House.
Photo: AFP
The amendment, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, would turn that one-time report into a periodic review to be performed every two years, with the aim of eventually lifting self-imposed restrictions on engagement.
In January 2021, then-US secretary of state Mike Pompeo lifted all restrictions on engagement between Taiwan and US officials, although US President Joe Biden reinstated some of them.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio proposed several pro-Taiwan bills during his time as a senator, leading to some speculation that he would seek to lift current restrictions.
The original TAIPEI Act directed the US government to advocate for Taiwan’s membership in international organizations and encourage third-party countries to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The amended bill, known as the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, would clarify the meaning of UN Resolution 2758 as well as authorize a report on China’s ongoing attempts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan.
“The United States opposes any initiative that seeks to change Taiwan’s status without the consent of the people,” the bill says.
The solidarity act also instructs US government representatives in international organizations to urge other countries to resist China’s attempts to “distort the decisions, language, policies or procedures of such organizations regarding Taiwan.”
If passed, the bills would proceed to the Senate for a vote before heading to the president’s desk.
In the past few years, China has cited UN Resolution 2758 as recognizing that it has sovereignty over Taiwan. However, the resolution — adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971 to recognize the People’s Republic of China as “the only lawful representatives of China” to the international body — does not mention Taiwan.
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