[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5313-S5314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3041. Mr. MARKEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title XII, add the following:

                     Subtitle G--Taiwan ASSURE Act

     SEC. 1294. SHORT TITLES.

       This subtitle may be cited as the ``Taiwan Actions 
     Supporting Security by Undertaking Regular Engagements Act'' 
     or the ``Taiwan ASSURE Act''.

     SEC. 1295. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Consistent with the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 
     2018 (Public Law 115-409), the United States has grown its 
     strategic partnership with Taiwan's vibrant democracy of 
     23,000,000 people.
       (2) Section 2(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 
     3301(b)) declares that it is the policy of the United 
     States--
       (A) ``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, as 
     well as the people on the China mainland and all other 
     peoples of the Western Pacific area''; and
       (B) ``to declare that peace and stability in the [Western 
     Pacific] area are in the political, security, and economic 
     interests of the United States, and are matters of 
     international concern''.
       (3) In recent years, the Government of the People's 
     Republic of China (PRC) has intensified its efforts to 
     diplomatically isolate and intimidate Taiwan through--
       (A) punitive economic measures;
       (B) increased military provocations; and
       (C) exertions of malign influence to undermine democracy in 
     Taiwan.
       (4) To ensure the durability of the United States policy 
     under the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 115-409), it is 
     necessary--
       (A) to reinforce--
       (i) Taiwan's international participation;
       (ii) Taiwan's global economic integration; and
       (iii) the credibility of Taiwan's military deterrent; and
       (B) to simultaneously take measures to reduce the risk of 
     miscalculation among the PRC, the United States, and Taiwan.
       (5) Taiwan's meaningful participation in international 
     organizations in which statehood is not a requirement 
     benefits the global community, as evidenced by the fact that 
     Taiwan was the first to inform the World Health Organization 
     of cases of atypical pneumonia reported in Wuhan, China, on 
     December 31, 2019.
       (6) Despite the COVID-19 pandemic creating an opportunity 
     for the Government of the PRC to launch a disinformation 
     campaign aimed at sowing internal social division and 
     undermining confidence in the response of Taiwanese 
     authorities, Taiwan has been overwhelmingly successful in 
     controlling the pandemic.
       (7) The Global Cooperation and Training Framework, a United 
     States-Taiwan-Japan platform for Taiwan to share its 
     expertise with the world, has sponsored nearly 30 workshops 
     since 2015 to share Taiwan's knowledge on issues such as 
     addressing COVID-19 misinformation, disaster relief, women's 
     empowerment, and good governance.
       (8) Section 2(b)(2) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 
     3301(b)(2)) states it is the policy of the United States ``to 
     declare that peace and stability in the [Western Pacific] 
     area are in the political, security, and economic interests 
     of the United States, and are matters of international 
     concern''.
       (9) The PRC's recent military activities around Taiwan, 
     including conducting 10 transits and military exercises near 
     Taiwan since January 2021 and 380 sorties into Taiwan's Air 
     Defense Identification Zone in 2020 (the greatest number 
     since 1996), have destabilized Northeast Asia.
       (10) Increased air and sea activity in and around the 
     Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea by the PRC, Taiwan, the 
     United States, and Japan increase the likelihood of accidents 
     that may--
       (A) escalate tensions around Taiwan; and

[[Page S5314]]

       (B) undermine the stability across the Taiwan Strait and 
     regional peace in the Northeast Asia.

     SEC. 1296. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) United States engagement with Taiwan should focus on 
     actions, activities, and programs that mutually benefit the 
     United States and Taiwan;
       (2) the United States should prioritize--
       (A) people-to-people exchanges;
       (B) bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation; and
       (C) assisting Taiwan's efforts to participate in 
     international institutions;
       (3) the United States should pursue new engagement 
     initiatives with Taiwan, such as--
       (A) enhancing cooperation on science and technology;
       (B) joint infrastructure development in third countries;
       (C) renewable energy and environmental sustainability 
     development; and
       (D) investment screening coordination;
       (4) the United States should expand its financial support 
     for the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, and 
     encourage like-minded countries to co-sponsor workshops, to 
     showcase Taiwan's capacity to contribute to solving global 
     challenges in the face of the Government of the PRC's 
     campaign to isolate Taiwan in the international community;
       (5) to advance the goals of the April 2021 Department of 
     State guidance expanding unofficial United States-Taiwan 
     contacts, the United States, Taiwan, and Japan should aim to 
     host Global Cooperation and Training Framework workshops 
     timed to coincide with plenaries and other meetings of 
     international organizations in which Taiwan is unable to 
     participate;
       (6) the United States should support efforts to engage 
     regional counterparts in Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues on 
     the stability across the Taiwan Strait, which are important 
     for increasing strategic awareness amongst all parties and 
     the avoidance of conflict;
       (7) United States arms sales to Taiwan should support 
     Taiwan's asymmetric defense capabilities, as outlined in 
     Taiwan's Overall Defense Concept, and improve Taiwan's 
     military deterrent;
       (8) bilateral confidence-building measures and crisis 
     stability dialogues between the United States and the PRC are 
     important mechanisms for maintaining deterrence and stability 
     across the Taiwan Strait and should be prioritized; and
       (9) the United States and the PRC should prioritize the use 
     of a fully operational military crisis hotline to provide a 
     mechanism for the leadership of the two countries to 
     communicate directly in order to quickly resolve 
     misunderstandings that could lead to military escalation.

     SEC. 1297. DEFINITIONS.

       In this subtitle:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
       (B) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
       (C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (D) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) China; prc.--The terms ``China'' and ``PRC'' mean the 
     People's Republic of China.
       (3) Taiwan authorities.--The term ``Taiwan authorities'' 
     means officials of the Government of Taiwan.

     SEC. 1298. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE GLOBAL 
                   COOPERATION AND TRAINING FRAMEWORK.

       There are authorized to be appropriated for the Global 
     Cooperation and Training Framework under the Economic Support 
     Fund authorized under section 531 of the Foreign Assistance 
     Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346), $6,000,000 for each of the 
     fiscal years 2022 through 2025, which may be expended for 
     trainings and activities that increase Taiwan's economic and 
     international integration.

     SEC. 1299. ENHANCING PARTNERSHIP.

       (a) National Guard Partnership Program.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of State and the appropriate 
     Taiwan authorities, shall submit a report to the appropriate 
     congressional committees regarding the feasibility and 
     advisability of establishing a National Guard partnership 
     program between United States National Guard forces and the 
     Armed Forces Reserve Command of Taiwan (referred to in this 
     section as ``Taiwan's Reserve Command'').
       (2) Objectives.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
     shall examine how the establishment of a National Guard 
     partnership program would--
       (A) advance Taiwan's Reserve Command's ability to recruit, 
     train, and equip its forces, including its ability to require 
     and provide regular individual and collective training to all 
     reserve forces;
       (B) cultivate relationships among United States and Taiwan 
     reserve forces at the tactical, operational, and strategic 
     levels;
       (C) enhance Taiwan's ability to respond to humanitarian 
     disasters; and
       (D) strengthen Taiwan's ability to defend against outside 
     military aggression.
       (3) Contents.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
     shall include--
       (A) a comprehensive assessment of the policy opportunities 
     and drawbacks associated with establishing a National Guard 
     partnership program;
       (B) an assessment of any statutory or administrative 
     barriers to establishing such a program, including a 
     determination of the feasibility and advisability of--
       (i) modifying existing National Guard partnership 
     authorities; or
       (ii) establishing new authorities, as appropriate;
       (C) an evaluation of the capacity of--
       (i) United States National Guard forces to support such a 
     program; and
       (ii) Taiwan's Reserve Command forces to absorb such a 
     program;
       (D) a determination of the most appropriate entities within 
     the Department of Defense and Taiwan's Reserve Command to 
     lead such a program; and
       (E) a determination of additional resources and authorities 
     that may be required to execute such a program.
       (4) Form of report.--The report required under paragraph 
     (1) shall be unclassified, but may include a classified annex 
     if the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State 
     determine that the inclusion of a classified annex is 
     appropriate.
       (b) Taiwan's Asymmetric Defense Strategy.--Not later than 
     180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of 
     State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees a classified report, with an unclassified summary, 
     assessing the implementation of Taiwan's asymmetric defense 
     strategy, including the priorities identified in Taiwan's 
     Overall Defense Concept.

     SEC. 1299A. SUPPORTING CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES AND 
                   STABILITY DIALOGUES.

       (a) Annual Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
     Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of 
     Defense, shall submit an unclassified report, with a 
     classified annex, to the appropriate congressional committees 
     that includes--
       (1) a description of all military-to-military dialogues and 
     confidence-building measures between the United States and 
     the PRC during the 10-year period ending on the date of the 
     enactment of this Act;
       (2) a description of all bilateral and multilateral 
     diplomatic engagements with the PRC in which cross-Strait 
     issues were discussed during such 10-year period, including 
     Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues;
       (3) a description of the efforts in the year preceding the 
     submission of the report to conduct engagements described in 
     paragraphs (1) and (2); and
       (4) a description of how and why the engagements described 
     in paragraphs (1) and (2) have changed in frequency or 
     substance during such 10-year period.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated for the Department of State, and, as 
     appropriate, the Department of Defense, no less than 
     $2,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2022 through 2025, 
     which shall be used to support existing Track 1.5 and Track 2 
     strategic dialogues facilitated by independent nonprofit 
     organizations in which participants meet to discuss cross-
     Strait stability issues.
                                 ______