Academics yesterday expressed cautious optimism about Taiwan-US relations under US President Donald Trump, a day after the US House of Representatives unanimously passed two pro-Taiwan bills.
The House on Tuesday passed the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act and the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which need to be approved by the US Senate and signed by Trump to become law.
The Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act stipulates that the US Department of State must report to the US Congress every two years on the guidelines for US engagement with Taiwan and Taiwanese officials, and “lift any remaining self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement.”
Photo: CNA
The Taiwan International Solidarity Act stipulates that the US government does not believe UN Resolution 2758 should be used to bar Taiwan’s participation in the UN or related international organizations.
The Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act would be a substantial improvement to bilateral relations should it become law, said Yeh Yao-yuan (葉耀元), chair of the International Studies Department at the University of St Thomas in Houston, Texas.
Given the Trump administration’s indifference to multilateralism, the Taiwan International Solidarity Act would have more relevance to the state department’s handling of Taiwan affairs than Taipei’s participation in international organizations, he said.
Marco Rubio’s appointment as US secretary of state and the support for Taiwan in the Congress are evidence that the Taiwan-US relationship is strong, said Yen Chen-shen (嚴震生), a research fellow in National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations.
However, US tariffs on Japan and South Korea are concerning, as they might compromise Washington’s ability to meaningfully support Taiwan in the international arena, Yen said.
Taiwan should pay more attention to the Trump administration’s action rather than resolutions and legislation from the Congress, he said.
Kharis Templeman, an analyst at the Hoover Institution, said that the House passed similar bills in 2023 and passing them again this year signals the body’s continued support for Taiwan.
The US-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act, which the House introduced in 2023, is a more important bill, Templeman said.
The tax legislation enjoys broad support among US senators, but its passage could be impeded by political conflicts over unrelated controversies, he said.
Displays of national resolve would likely be key to winning support from the US, as Washington has repeatedly stated that Taiwan needs to spend more on defense and improve its resilience, he said.
The fundamentals of the Taiwan-US relationship under the second Trump administration does not differ from his first or the stance of former US president Joe Biden, Templeman said.
The Washington-based Formosan Association for Public Affairs has worked for 10 years to enhance high-level exchanges between officials from Taiwan and the US, Global Taiwan Institute adviser Yeh Chieh-ting (葉介庭) said.
That 400 US lawmakers passed two bills with no dissent is evidence for the firmness of the support the US has for Taiwan, he said.
The bills passed on Tuesday could be interpreted as a shot in the arm administered by US lawmakers to boost confidence in Taiwan-US ties amid trade disputes, he said.
In addition, they could provide a framework for trade and semiconductor manufacturing talks that senior officials from both sides would soon conduct, he added.
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