IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 185 

Declaring that it should be the policy of the United States to encourage 

visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 26, 2013 

Mr. BENTIVOLIO submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Declaring that it should be the policy of the United States 

to encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels. 

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96–8; 22 

U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), enacted in 1979, has continued for 

34 years to be the cornerstone of United States-Taiwan 

relations and has served as an anchor for peace and security in the Western Pacific region; 

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act declares that peace and 

stability in the Western Pacific area are in the political, 

security, and economic interests of the United States, 

and are matters of international concern; the United 

States considers any effort to determine the future of 

Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of 


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•HRES 185 IH 

the Western Pacific and are of grave concern to the 

United States; 

Whereas Taiwan has succeeded in a momentous transition to 

democracy beginning in the late 1980s and has been a 

beacon of democratic practices in Asia, and Taiwan’s 

democratic achievements inspire many countries and people in the region; 

Whereas through the Taiwan Relations Act, the United 

States treats Taiwan as a de facto sovereign, independent 

nation; 

Whereas visits by United States cabinet officials and other 

high-ranking officials are an indicator of the breadth and 

depth of ties between the United States and its friends 

and Allies; 

Whereas over the past decades, United States-Taiwan relations have suffered from a lack of communication due to 

the self-imposed restrictions that the United States maintains on high-level visits with Taiwan; and 

Whereas it should be the policy of the United States to encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan at 

all levels: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

3 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Taiwan Travel 

4 Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. POLICY. 

6 Notwithstanding the 1994 Taiwan policy review and 

7 current guidance from the Department of State pertaining 


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•HRES 185 IH 

1 to contacts with Taiwan, it should be United States policy 

2 to— 

3 (1) allow all high-level officials of Taiwan to 

4 enter into the United States or its embassies and 

5 consulates under conditions which demonstrate ap6 propriate respect for the dignity of such leaders; 

7 (2) allow meetings between all high-level Tai8 wanese and United States officials in United States 

9 executive departments, including the Department of 

10 State and Department of Defense; and 

11 (3) allow the Taipei Economic and Cultural 

12 Representative Office and all other instrumentalities 

13 established by Taiwan to conduct official business 

14 activities, including activities which involve participa15 tion by Members of the United States Congress and 

16 other representatives of the Federal, State, and local 

17 governments, and all high-level Taiwanese officials, 

18 without obstruction from the United States Govern19 ment or any foreign power. 

Æ 


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