From Washington, the U.S. Congress passed the $2.3 trillion FY 2021 Federal Government Consolidated Appropriations Act and the New Coronary Pneumonia Epidemic Relief Act late on December 21 local time, including the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020, which aims to strengthen support for Taiwan. The bill requires the Secretary of State to review and report on guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and it also provides $3 million in funding for the first time for the U.S.-Taiwan Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF). The bill is awaiting President Trump‘s signature before it takes effect.
In response, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), a Republican member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement released after the bill’s passage that the Taiwan Reassurance Act of 2020, introduced by him and Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, would “advance the expansion of U.S.-Taiwan government and provide congressional oversight of self-imposed limits on U.S. cooperation with Taiwan. This bill would strengthen cooperation with Taiwan as a reliable partner in democracy.” It is understood that the provisions of the bill state that congressional opinion considers Taiwan to be a vital part of the U.S. free and open Indo-Pacific strategy, and that the U.S. government supports Taiwan’s development of asymmetric capabilities and also urges Taiwan to increase defense spending for its defense strategy; the U.S. should normalize arms sales to Taiwan to enhance its self-defense capabilities.
In addition, the article in support of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations section said that the U.S. Congress views that the People’s Republic of China attempts to dictate the terms of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, resulting in Taiwan’s exclusion from these international organizations, but also to the detriment of global public health, international civil aviation security and the fight against transnational crime, the U.S. policy is to advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations, the World Health Assembly, ICAO and Interpol, and to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, UNESCO, and other international organizations that do not require sovereign statehood. Meanwhile, the most specific measure of the Taiwan Assurance Act is the “Review of the Department of State Taiwan Guidelines,” which requires the Secretary of State to review and submit a report on the Department of State’s guidelines governing U.S.-Taiwan relations within 180 days of the Act’s entry into force, “including a report entitled Guidelines on Relations with Taiwan’ and related documents,” and to reissue the guidelines to executive branch departments and agencies.
The U.S. Congress believes that the State Department’s guidelines on relations with Taiwan should be intended to deepen the U.S.-Taiwan relationship, take full account of the fact that Taiwan is a democracy, and ensure that the implementation of the relationship reflects a comprehensive, long-term, values-based relationship between the United States and Taiwan. The bill requires that the Secretary of State’s report to the Senate and House Foreign Affairs Committees include a copy of the “Guidelines for Relations with Taiwan” memorandum and any changes to the implementation of the Taiwan Travel Act and guidelines resulting from the implementation of this legislation. Notably, the provisions of the FY 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act also include $32 million for the State Department to pay for AIT’s implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act and $3 million for the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF). The bill recognizes the GCTF as an important platform for promoting public health, law enforcement, disaster relief, energy cooperation, women’s empowerment, cybersecurity, media literacy, and good governance, and U.S. lawmakers from across the aisle recognize the GCTF’s continued cooperation on global issues.
It is understood that the omnibus appropriations bill also requires the Director of National Intelligence to “assess important technology trends involving artificial intelligence (AI), microchips, and the semiconductor supply chain” and submit a report on the semiconductor supply chain. The report must include “an analysis of the potential impact of geopolitical shifts, including those involving Taiwan.” In response to the bill passed by the U.S. Congress, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it once again appreciates the cross-party support of friends in the U.S. Congress for their concrete actions in support of Taiwan-U.S. relations, and that Taiwan will continue to build on the existing good foundation, uphold the principles of mutual trust, reciprocity and mutual benefit, and work with the U.S. side to steadily deepen the Taiwan-U.S. global partnership in various fields. The latest omnibus appropriations bill passed by the U.S. Congress not only provides relief for U.S. federal government operations and the New Pneumonia epidemic, but also includes bills related to foreign policy, such as the Taiwan Reassurance Act and the Tibet Policy and Support Act.
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