[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 16, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E49]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           TAIWAN TRAVEL ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 9, 2018

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 535, 
the Taiwan Travel Act.
  H.R. 535 reaffirms congressional support for the Taiwan Relations Act 
and upholds the policy that allows U.S. officials at every level to 
travel to Taiwan to meet their counterparts, and allow Taiwanese 
officials to do the same in Washington. The bill also encourages the 
Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) to continue 
to conduct business in the U.S.
  Since the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, ties between the 
United States and Taiwan have suffered from insufficient high-level 
communication, largely due to the restrictions that the United States 
placed on visits by high ranking officials to Taiwan. The United States 
and Taiwan maintain what the U.S. Department of State calls ``a robust 
unofficial relationship.'' The relationship has been unofficial since 
January 1, 1979, when the Carter Administration established diplomatic 
relations with China and ended formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. In 
the absence of diplomatic relations, the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA, 
P.L. 96-8), enacted on April 10, 1979, provides a legal basis for the 
U.S. relationship with Taiwan.
  I fully support H.R. 535 and encourage officials at all levels of the 
U.S. government to travel to Taiwan to meet their counterparts. 
Official travel between our countries is an integral part of developing 
stronger diplomatic ties, and our international trade relationship 
makes this bond between us particularly important. Taiwan is currently 
our 10th largest trading partner, and in 2016 this partnership totaled 
an estimated $84.9 billion.
  Our established trade partnership with Taiwan continues to help 
bolster the United States economy also by providing and sustaining 
jobs. According to the Department of Commerce, in 2015 U.S. exports of 
goods and services to Taiwan supported an estimated 208,000 jobs 
domestically. It is essential we support H.R. 535, the Taiwan Travel 
Act to encourage strong diplomatic partnerships between the United 
States and Taiwan.

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