The U.S. Congress recently passed the “Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act,” which requires the State Department to regularly review and update rules related to interactions with Taiwan, and to propose plans to lift existing restrictions. According to information on the White House website, on the 2nd, President Trump signed this bill into law.
The “Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act” was jointly introduced this February by Republican Congresswoman Wagner, the late Democratic Congressman Connolly, and Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu. In May, it was passed unanimously by the House of Representatives.
The Senate subsequently passed the bill in November, requiring the State Department to seek opportunities to lift existing self-imposed restrictions on U.S.-Taiwan exchanges and to formulate specific implementation plans.
Since the United States and the Republic of China (Taiwan) broke off diplomatic relations in 1979, the State Department has issued documents outlining various “red lines” for U.S. diplomatic, military, and other officials in their interactions with Taiwanese officials. The core spirit of the “Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act” is to break down these restrictions.
According to the Congress website, current U.S. law requires the State Department to review guidelines on U.S.-Taiwan exchanges once and submit a report to Congress. Under this new act, the State Department must review the guidelines every two years while they are in effect and report to Congress.
Under the act, the State Department’s assessment must state whether current guidelines deepen and expand U.S.-Taiwan relations and reflect the value and importance of the bilateral relationship. Relevant guidelines should ensure that the approach to Taiwan reflects a long-term, comprehensive, and values-based bilateral engagement, and should contribute to the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.
During Trump’s first term, in January 2021, then-Secretary of State Pompeo announced the cancellation of self-imposed U.S. government restrictions on Taiwan policy on the eve of his departure, abolishing all contact guidelines with Taiwan. After the Biden administration took office, guidelines were reinstated but bilateral interactions were relaxed, allowing U.S. officials to routinely receive Taiwanese officials in federal agencies and meet with them at Taiwan’s representative office in the United States.