ITASA

Taiwan in the House

While Taiwan-based news has been focused on the impending January elections lately, another significant event has snuck onto the headlines. A few weeks ago on November seventeenth, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed two bills aiming to strengthen the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, not only militarily, but also diplomatically.

I know policies can be difficult to get through, so I’ll share some of the highlights:

· Sec. 2(3) - “The future of Taiwan must be determined in a peaceful
manner and with the assent of the people of Taiwan.”

· Reasserts the United States’ dedication to defend Taiwan by force, if needed

· Seeks to include Taiwan in additional trade agreements

· Removes current restrictions on high-level visits to either country

· Encourages the executive branch to revisit their Taiwan stance

· Includes Taiwan in the visa waiver program

· Supports the sale of new F-16 fighter planes to Taiwan

While some of these provisions need to travel through the executive branch before any action is taken (primarily the sale of the F-16s, which Obama’s administration has been against thus far), these bills are an important step toward renewing Taiwan-US relations. After a long thirty-two years of the United States averting their eyes on matters regarding Taiwan, a definitive statement from Congress declaring that “a strong Taiwan is necessary for peace and stability in Asia” comes as a welcome breath of fresh (or rather, fresher) air.

So don’t let Paul Kane’s New York Times editorial fool you: the United States is not about to abandon Taiwan any time soon (especially not to save our economy). Congress has proven their promise and isn’t about to forget our little island, especially at so crucial a time in our histories.

Written by Kayleigh Madjar - Assistant Programs Director (Northwestern University)