III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 40 

Recognizing the close relationship between the United States and Taiwan 

and the important role of the American Institute in Taiwan in strengthening such relationship. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 14, 2018 

Mr. GARDNER (for himself, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. INHOFE, 

and Mr. RUBIO) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the close relationship between the United States 

and Taiwan and the important role of the American 

Institute in Taiwan in strengthening such relationship. 

Whereas Taiwan is— 

(1) a free, democratic, and prosperous nation of 

23,000,000 people; and 

(2) an important contributor to peace and stability 

around the world; 

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et 

seq.)— 

(1) states that it is the policy of the United States 

‘‘to preserve and promote extensive, close, and friendly 

commercial, cultural, and other relations between the 

people of the United States and the people of Taiwan’’; 


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•SCON 40 IS 

(2) states ‘‘Programs, transactions, and other relations conducted or carried out by the President or any 

agency of the United States Government with respect to 

Taiwan shall, in the manner and to the extent directed 

by the President, be conducted and carried out by or 

through ... the American Institute in Taiwan’’; and 

(3) established the American Institute in Taiwan, 

which is responsible for— 

(A) managing unofficial United States relations 

with Taiwan; and 

(B) implementing United States policy toward 

Taiwan, including a wide range of activities such as 

commercial services, agricultural sales, consular 

services, and cultural exchanges; 

Whereas the 3 pillars of the American Institute in Taiwan’s 

mission are— 

(1) security and defense cooperation; 

(2) commercial and economic relations; and 

(3) people-to-people ties; 

Whereas the American Institute in Taiwan— 

(1) will open its new office complex in Taipei on 

June 12, 2018, which— 

(A) consists of 14,934 square meters of office 

space constructed at a cost of $250,000,000, underscoring the United States commitment to its relationship with Taiwan; 

(B) will allow all of its sections and operations 

in Taipei to be co-located in a modern, secure, and 

energy efficient facility; 

(C) was built with a combination of materials 

from the United States and Taiwan; 


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•SCON 40 IS 

(D) will be staffed by a workforce of approximately 500 employees from the United States, Taiwan, and other countries; and 

(E) will host a permanent ‘‘Art in AIT’’ collection of works by United States and Taiwan artists 

that embodies the artistic and cultural confluences 

of innumerable person-to-person ties that link Taiwan and the United States; 

(2) also has a branch office in Kaohsiung, which has 

more than 30 employees; and 

(3) processed 34,000 visas in 2017; 

Whereas President Tsai Ing-wen visited the American Institute of Taiwan on May 15, 2018, and plans to attend its 

official opening on June 12, 2018; 

Whereas since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 

2016, the Government of the People’s Republic of China 

has intensified its efforts to exclude Taiwan from international organizations; 

Whereas in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review, the United 

States declared its intention to support Taiwan’s participation in appropriate international organizations; 

Whereas Taiwan is a full member of the World Trade Organization, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, 

and the Asian Development Bank; 

Whereas according to the Department of State, ‘‘the United 

States supports Taiwan’s membership in international organizations that do not require statehood as a condition 

of membership and encourages Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations where its membership is not possible’’; 


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•SCON 40 IS 

Whereas Taiwan maintains full diplomatic relations with 18 

nations around the world; 

Whereas on February 28, 2018, the United States Senate 

unanimously passed the Taiwan Travel Act (Public Law 

115–135), which was signed into law on March 16, 2018, 

declaring that it should be the policy of the United States 

to allow officials at all levels of the United States Government to visit Taiwan in their official capacities; and 

Whereas the United States National Security Strategy, which 

was released in December 2017, states: ‘‘We will maintain our strong ties with Taiwan in accordance with our 

‘One China’ policy, including our commitments under the 

Taiwan Relations Act to provide for Taiwan’s legitimate 

defense needs and deter coercion.’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) welcomes the opening of the new American 

4 Institute of Taiwan office in Taipei, which will— 

5 (A) cultivate the relationship between the 

6 United States and Taiwan; and 

7 (B) further demonstrate the United States 

8 commitment to bolstering its friendship and its 

9 commercial and defense partnership with Tai10 wan; 

11 (2) recognizes that the American Institute of 

12 Taiwan— 

13 (A) reflects the democratic values shared 

14 by the United States and Taiwan; and 


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•SCON 40 IS 

1 (B) represents close cooperation on emerg2 ing regional and global issues; 

3 (3) emphasizes that the new American Institute 

4 of Taiwan facility— 

5 (A) demonstrates a strong United States6 Taiwan partnership; and 

7 (B) reflects the increasing depth of our un8 official relationship; 

9 (4) expresses hope that the United States and 

10 Taiwan will continue to foster and seek new ways to 

11 build upon the robust relationship, facilitated 

12 through the American Institute of Taiwan; and 

13 (5) urges the executive branch to fully imple14 ment the Taiwan Relations Act, the Taiwan Travel 

15 Act, and other relevant policy directives that 

16 strengthen the relationship between the United 

17 States and Taiwan. 

Æ 


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