II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1678 

To express United States support for Taiwan’s diplomatic alliances around 

the world. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 23 (legislative day, MAY 22), 2019 

Mr. GARDNER (for himself, Mr. COONS, Mr. RUBIO, and Mr. CORNYN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To express United States support for Taiwan’s diplomatic 

alliances around the world. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Taiwan Allies Inter5 national Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) 

6 Act of 2019’’. 

7 SEC. 2. DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find9 ings: 


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1 (1) The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 (Public 

2 Law 96–8) states that it is the policy of the United 

3 States ‘‘to preserve and promote extensive, close, 

4 and friendly commercial, cultural, and other rela5 tions between the people of the United States and 

6 the people on Taiwan’’. 

7 (2) The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 states 

8 that it is the policy of the United States ‘‘to main9 tain the capacity of the United States to resist any 

10 resort to force or other forms of coercion that would 

11 jeopardize the security, or the social or economic 

12 system, of the people on Taiwan’’. 

13 (3) Taiwan is a free, democratic, and pros14 perous nation of 23,000,000 people and an impor15 tant contributor to peace and stability around the 

16 world. 

17 (4) Since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen 

18 as President of Taiwan in 2016, the Government of 

19 the People’s Republic of China has intensified its ef20 forts to pressure Taiwan. 

21 (5) Since 2016, the Gambia, Sao Tome and 

22 Principe, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina 

23 Faso, and El Salvador have severed diplomatic rela24 tions with Taiwan in favor of diplomatic relations 

25 with China. 


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1 (6) Taiwan currently maintains full diplomatic 

2 relations with 17 nations around the world. 

3 (7) According to President Tsai Ing-wen, the 

4 severance of diplomatic ties is ‘‘part of a series of 

5 diplomatic and military acts of coercion’’. 

6 (8) The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 

7 2018 (Public Law 115–409) states that— 

8 (A) it is United States policy ‘‘to support 

9 the close economic, political, and security rela10 tionship between Taiwan and the United 

11 States’’; and 

12 (B) the President should— 

13 (i) ‘‘conduct regular transfers of de14 fense articles to Taiwan that are tailored 

15 to meet the existing and likely future 

16 threats from the People’s Republic of 

17 China, including supporting the efforts of 

18 Taiwan to develop and integrate asym19 metric capabilities, as appropriate, includ20 ing mobile, survivable, and cost-effective 

21 capabilities, into its military forces’’; and 

22 (ii) ‘‘encourage the travel of high-level 

23 United States officials to Taiwan, in ac24 cordance with the Taiwan Travel Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. REPORT ON UNITED STATES STRATEGY REGARD2 ING TAIWAN’S INTERNATIONAL RECOGNI3 TION. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days 

6 thereafter, the Secretary of State or a designee of the Sec7 retary shall submit to the appropriate congressional com8 mittees a report on actions taken by the United States 

9 to reaffirm and strengthen Taiwan’s international alli10 ances around the world. 

11 (b) ELEMENTS.—Each report required by subsection 

12 (a) shall include the following elements: 

13 (1) A description of the actions taken by the 

14 Secretary of State, or designees of the Secretary, ef15 fective May 20, 2016, to consult with governments 

16 around the world, including the governments that 

17 maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, 

18 with the purpose of inducing those governments to 

19 maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan or 

20 otherwise strengthen unofficial relations with Tai21 wan. 

22 (2) An enumeration of specific countries of con23 cern, if any, and a description of the actions taken, 

24 or actions anticipated, by those governments, com25 mencing May 20, 2016, to alter the formal diploVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:05 Jun 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1678.IS S1678

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1 matic ties with Taiwan or to otherwise downgrade 

2 official or unofficial relations. 

3 (3) A plan of action to engage with the govern4 ments of the countries identified in paragraphs (1) 

5 and (2) and increase cooperation with respect to 

6 Taiwan. 

7 (c) FORM OF REPORT.—Each report required by sub8 section (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may 

9 include a classified annex. 

10 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION TO CONSIDER MODIFICATION OF 

11 UNITED STATES DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE 

12 WITH NATIONS TAKING ACTIONS TO UNDER13 MINE TAIWAN. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State may con15 sider taking such action to modify United States diplo16 matic presence as necessary and appropriate to provide 

17 incentives to countries considering or taking steps to alter 

18 or downgrade official or unofficial ties with Taiwan. 

19 (b) ACTIONS INCLUDED.—Actions described in sub20 section (a) may include— 

21 (1) supplementing or reducing the appropriate 

22 diplomatic presence in the United States of coun23 tries identified pursuant to section 3 as having 

24 taken, or anticipating, actions to alter formal diploVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:05 Jun 01, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1678.IS S1678

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1 matic ties with Taiwan or otherwise downgrade rela2 tions; and 

3 (2) supplementing or reducing the diplomatic 

4 presence of the United States in those countries. 

5 (c) CONSULTATION.—Not less than 30 days before 

6 taking any action under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

7 consult with the appropriate congressional committees 

8 with respect to the action. 

9 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION TO CONSIDER ADJUSTMENT OF 

10 UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE TO NATIONS 

11 TAKING ACTIONS TO UNDERMINE TAIWAN. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State may con13 sider the expansion, termination, or reduction of United 

14 States foreign assistance to countries identified pursuant 

15 to section 3 as having taken, or anticipating, actions to 

16 alter or downgrade official or unofficial ties with Taiwan 

17 or otherwise downgrade relations. 

18 (b) ASSISTANCE INCLUDED.—Assistance for consid19 eration under subsection (a) may include— 

20 (1) assistance under chapter 4 of part II of the 

21 Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et 

22 seq.; relating to the Economic Support Fund); 

23 (2) military assistance provided pursuant to 

24 section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 


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1 U.S.C. 2763; relating to the Foreign Military Fi2 nancing Program); and 

3 (3) assistance provided under chapter 5 of part 

4 II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 

5 2347 et seq.; relating to international military edu6 cation and training). 

7 (c) CONSULTATION.—Not less than 30 days before 

8 taking any action under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

9 consult with the appropriate congressional committees 

10 with respect to the action, as well as comply with the noti11 fication procedures applicable to reprogramming pursuant 

12 to section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 

13 (22 U.S.C. 2394–1). 

14 SEC. 6. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES WITH REGARD TO 

15 TAIWAN’S PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATION16 AL ORGANIZATIONS. 

17 It should be the policy of the United States— 

18 (1) to advocate, as appropriate— 

19 (A) for Taiwan’s membership in all inter20 national organizations in which statehood is not 

21 a requirement and in which the United States 

22 is also a participant; and 

23 (B) for Taiwan to be granted observer sta24 tus in other appropriate international organiza25 tions; 


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1 (2) to instruct, as appropriate, representatives 

2 of the United States Government in all organizations 

3 described in paragraph (1) to use the voice and vote 

4 of the United States to advocate for Taiwan’s mem5 bership or observer status in such organizations; and 

6 (3) for the President or the President’s des7 ignees to advocate, as appropriate, for Taiwan’s 

8 membership or observer status in all organizations 

9 described in paragraph (1) as part of any relevant 

10 bilateral engagements between the United States 

11 and the People’s Republic of China, including leader 

12 summits and the U.S.-China Comprehensive Eco13 nomic Dialogue. 

14 SEC. 7. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE15 FINED. 

16 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com17 mittees’’ means— 

18 (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 

19 the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and 

20 (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 

21 Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep22 resentatives. 

Æ 


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