[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1678 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.1678
One Hundred Sixteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE SECOND SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
the third day of January, two thousand and twenty
An Act
To express United States support for Taiwan's diplomatic alliances
around the world.
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 Allies International
Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 (Public Law 96-8) states
that it is the policy of the United States ``to preserve and
promote extensive, close, and friendly commercial, cultural, and
other relations between the people of the United States and the
people on Taiwan''.
(2) The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 states that it is the
policy of the United States ``to maintain the capacity of the
United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of
coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or
economic system, of the people on Taiwan''.
(3) Taiwan is a free, democratic, and prosperous nation of
23,000,000 people and an important contributor to peace and
stability around the world.
(4) Since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen as President
of Taiwan in 2016, the Government of the People's Republic of China
has intensified its efforts to pressure Taiwan.
(5) Since 2016, the Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, the
Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, the Solomon Islands,
and Kiribati have severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor
of diplomatic relations with China.
(6) Taiwan currently maintains full diplomatic relations with
15 nations around the world.
(7) Taiwan's unique relationship with the United States,
Australia, India, Japan, and other countries are of significant
benefit in strengthening Taiwan's economy and preserving its
international space.
(8) According to President Tsai Ing-wen, the severance of
diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of diplomatic relations with
China is ``part of a series of diplomatic and military acts of
coercion'' by China.
(9) The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law
115-409) states that--
(A) it is United States policy ``to support the close
economic, political, and security relationship between Taiwan
and the United States''; and
(B) the President should--
(i) ``conduct regular transfers of defense articles to
Taiwan that are tailored to meet the existing and likely
future threats from the People's Republic of China,
including supporting the efforts of Taiwan to develop and
integrate asymmetric capabilities, as appropriate,
including mobile, survivable, and cost-effective
capabilities, into its military forces''; and
(ii) ``encourage the travel of high-level United States
officials to Taiwan, in accordance with the Taiwan Travel
Act''.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON TRADE AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States and Taiwan have built a strong economic
partnership, with the United States now Taiwan's second largest
trading partner and with Taiwan the 11th largest trading partner of
the United States and a key destination for United States
agricultural exports;
(2) strong United States-Taiwan economic relations have been a
positive factor in stimulating economic growth and job creation for
the people of both the United States and Taiwan; and
(3) the United States Trade Representative should consult with
Congress on opportunities for further strengthening bilateral trade
and economic relations between the United States and Taiwan.
SEC. 4. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES WITH REGARD TO TAIWAN'S
PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
It should be the policy of the United States--
(1) to advocate, as appropriate--
(A) for Taiwan's membership in all international
organizations in which statehood is not a requirement and in
which the United States is also a participant; and
(B) for Taiwan to be granted observer status in other
appropriate international organizations;
(2) to instruct, as appropriate, representatives of the United
States Government in all organizations described in paragraph (1)
to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to
advocate for Taiwan's membership or observer status in such
organizations; and
(3) for the President or the President's designees to advocate,
as appropriate, for Taiwan's membership or observer status in all
organizations described in paragraph (1) as part of any relevant
bilateral engagements between the United States and the People's
Republic of China, including leader summits and the U.S.-China
Comprehensive Economic Dialogue.
SEC. 5. STRENGTHENING OF TIES WITH TAIWAN.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United
States Government should--
(1) support Taiwan in strengthening its official diplomatic
relationships as well as other partnerships with countries in the
Indo-Pacific region and around the world;
(2) consider, in certain cases as appropriate and in alignment
with United States interests, increasing its economic, security,
and diplomatic engagement with nations that have demonstrably
strengthened, enhanced, or upgraded relations with Taiwan; and
(3) consider, in certain cases as appropriate, in alignment
with United States foreign policy interests and in consultation
with Congress, altering its economic, security, and diplomatic
engagement with nations that take serious or significant actions to
undermine the security or prosperity of Taiwan.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, and annually thereafter for five years, the Secretary of
State shall report to the appropriate congressional committees on the
steps taken in accordance with subsection (a).
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Appropriations, and the Committee on Finance of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Appropriations, and the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of
Representatives.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.