[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2002 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2002
To foster security in Taiwan, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 1, 2019
Mr. McCaul (for himself, Mr. Engel, Mr. Yoho, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Diaz-
Balart, and Mr. Connolly) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To foster security in Taiwan, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) April 10, 2019, marks the 40th anniversary of the
Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 (Public Law 96-8).
(2) Since 1949, the close relationship between the United
States and Taiwan has benefitted both parties and the broader
Indo-Pacific region.
(3) The security of Taiwan and its democracy are key
elements of continued peace and stability of the greater Indo-
Pacific region, which is in the political, security, and
economic interests of the United States.
(4) The People's Republic of China is currently engaged in
a comprehensive military modernization campaign to enhance the
power-projection capabilities of the People's Liberation Army
and its ability to conduct joint operations, which is shifting
the military balance of power across the Taiwan Strait.
(5) Taiwan and its diplomatic partners continue to face
sustained pressure and coercion from the People's Republic of
China, which seeks to isolate Taiwan from the international
community.
(6) It is the policy of the United States to reinforce its
commitments to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act in a
manner consistent with the ``Six Assurances'' and in accordance
with the United States ``One China'' policy.
(7) In the Taiwan Travel Act, which became law on March 16,
2018, Congress observed that the ``self-imposed restrictions
that the United States maintains on high-level visits'' between
the United States and Taiwan have resulted in insufficient
high-level communication.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) Taiwan is a vital part of the United States Free and
Open Indo-Pacific Strategy;
(2) the United States Government--
(A) supports Taiwan's continued pursuit of
asymmetric capabilities and concepts; and
(B) urges Taiwan to increase its defense spending
in order to fully resource its defense strategy; and
(3) the United States should conduct regular sales and
transfers of defense articles to Taiwan in order to enhance its
self-defense capabilities, particularly its efforts to develop
and integrate asymmetric capabilities, including undersea
warfare and air defense capabilities, into its military forces.
SEC. 4. TAIWAN'S INCLUSION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
People's Republic of China's attempts to dictate the terms of Taiwan's
participation in international organizations, has, in many cases,
resulted in Taiwan's exclusion from such organizations even when
statehood is not a requirement, and that such exclusion--
(1) is detrimental to global health, civilian air safety,
and efforts to counter transnational crime;
(2) negatively impacts the safety and security of citizens
globally; and
(3) negatively impacts the security of Taiwan and its
democracy.
(b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to
advocate for Taiwan's meaningful participation in the United Nations,
the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation
Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization, and other
international bodies, as appropriate, and to advocate for Taiwan's
membership in the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and other
international organizations for which statehood is not a requirement
for membership.
SEC. 5. REVIEW OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE TAIWAN GUIDELINES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall conduct a review of
the Department of State's guidance that governs relations with Taiwan,
including the periodic memorandum entitled ``Guidelines on Relations
with Taiwan'' and related documents, and reissue such guidance to
executive branch departments and agencies.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Department of State's guidance regarding relations with Taiwan--
(1) should be crafted with the intent to deepen and expand
United States-Taiwan relations, and be based on the value,
merits, and importance of the United States-Taiwan
relationship;
(2) should be crafted giving due consideration to the fact
that Taiwan is governed by a representative democratic
government that is peacefully constituted through free and fair
elections that reflect the will of the people of Taiwan, and
that Taiwan is a free and open society that respects universal
human rights and democratic values; and
(3) should ensure that the conduct of relations with Taiwan
reflects the longstanding, comprehensive, and values-based
relationship the United States shares with Taiwan, and
contribute to the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.
(c) Reporting Requirements.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that includes
a description of--
(1) the results of the review pursuant to subsection (a) of
the Department of State's guidance on relations with Taiwan,
including a copy of the reissued ``Guidelines of Relations with
Taiwan'' memorandum; and
(2) the implementation of the Taiwan Travel Act (Public Law
115-135) and any changes to guidance on relations with Taiwan
that are the result of such implementation.
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