The US House of Representatives unanimously passed the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019 (H.R. 2002) and adopted a resolution (H.R. Res. 273) reaffirming the US commitment to Taiwan and to the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act May 7. The resolution received 414 votes in its favor, with zero against and 17 abstentions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) welcomes and appreciates this show of support.
The Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019 was introduced in the House of Representatives April 1 by Eliot Engel (D-NY), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Michael McCaul (R-TX), Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Brad Sherman (D-CA), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation; Ted Yoho (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation; and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Cochairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus. The Taiwan Assurance Act reaffirms that it is the policy of the US to advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and that the US should conduct regular sales of defense articles to Taiwan and support its efforts to develop and integrate asymmetric capabilities. It also calls on the US Secretary of State to conduct a review of the guidelines governing relations with Taiwan and to submit a report to the Congress on the results of this review, as well as the implementation of the Taiwan Travel Act.
The resolution reaffirming the US commitment to Taiwan and to the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act was also introduced on April 1 by the above six Representatives, as well as Albio Sires (D-NJ) and Steve Chabot (R-OH), the other two Cochairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus. The resolution reaffirms that the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances are cornerstones of US policy with respect to Taiwan, and encourages US and Taiwanese officials at all levels to exchange visits in accordance with the Taiwan Travel Act. In addition, it urges the US President to conduct regular transfers of defense articles to Taiwan in accordance with existing legislation, including the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018. The resolution also calls on the US Secretary of State to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and recognizes Taiwan’s partnership in combating terrorism and its cooperation in global humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, the US Senate unanimously passed a similar resolution on April 30 reaffirming the US commitment to Taiwan and to the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act. This demonstrates that the US Senate and House of Representatives both support and accord importance to the Taiwan-US relationship. Coming on the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, such a concrete show of staunch support for Taiwan by friends from both parties in the US Congress is highly significant. MOFA sincerely appreciates the US Congress for its endorsement, and remains committed to further advancing bilateral cooperation under the spirit of pragmatism, as well as steadily deepening the Taiwan-US partnership.