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[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 249 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>

                                                       Calendar No. 100
116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 249

   To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain 
 observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 29, 2019

   Mr. Inhofe (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Brown, Mr. 
    Cornyn, Mr. Markey, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Boozman, Mr. 
Manchin, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Peters, Mr. Wyden, Ms. McSally, Mr. 
Coons, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Young, and Mr. Gardner) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

                              June 3, 2019

                Reported by Mr. Risch, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain 
 observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH 
              ORGANIZATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following 
findings:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) The World Health Organization (WHO) is a 
        specialized agency of the United Nations, charged with 
        coordinating health efforts within the United Nations system. 
        The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the decision-making body of 
        the WHO, which convenes annually in May to set the policies and 
        priorities of the organization. Statehood is not a requirement 
        for attendance at the WHA, and numerous observers, including 
        non-members and non-governmental organizations, attended the 
        most recent WHA in May 2018.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Taiwan began seeking to participate in the WHO 
        as an observer in 1997. In 2009, with strong support from 
        successive United States Administrations, Congress, and like-
        minded WHO Member States, and during a period of improved 
        Cross-Strait relations, Taiwan received an invitation to attend 
        the WHA as an observer under the name ``Chinese Taipei''. 
        Taiwan received the same invitation each year until 2016, when 
        following the election of President Tsai-Ing Wen of the 
        Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan's engagement in the 
        international community began facing increased resistance from 
        the People's Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan's invitation to 
        the 2016 WHA was received late and included new language 
        conditioning Taiwan's participation on the PRC's ``one China 
        principle''. In 2017 and 2018, Taiwan did not receive an 
        invitation to the WHA.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Taiwan remains a model contributor to world 
        health, having provided financial and technical assistance to 
        respond to numerous global health challenges. Taiwan has 
        invested over $6,000,000,000 in international medical and 
        humanitarian aid efforts impacting over 80 countries since 
        1996. In 2014, Taiwan responded to the Ebola crisis by donating 
        $1,000,000 and providing 100,000 sets of personal protective 
        equipment. Through the Global Cooperation and Training 
        Framework, the United States and Taiwan have jointly conducted 
        training programs for experts to combat MERS, Dengue Fever, and 
        Zika. These diseases know no borders, and Taiwan's needless 
        exclusion from global health cooperation increases the dangers 
        presented by global pandemics.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Taiwan's international engagement has faced 
        increased resistance from the PRC. Taiwan was not invited to 
        the 2016 Assembly of the International Civil Aviation 
        Organization (ICAO), despite participating as a guest at the 
        organization's prior summit in 2013. Taiwan's requests to 
        participate in the General Assembly of the International 
        Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) have also been 
        rejected. In May 2017, PRC delegates disrupted a meeting of the 
        Kimberley Process on conflict diamonds held in Perth, 
        Australia, until delegates from Taiwan were asked to leave. 
        Since 2016, the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, 
        the Republic of Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, 
        and the Republic of El Salvador have terminated longstanding 
        diplomatic relationships with Taiwan and granted diplomatic 
        recognition to the PRC.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Congress has established a policy of support 
        for Taiwan's participation in international bodies that address 
        shared transnational challenges, particularly in the WHO. 
        Congress passed H.R. 1794 in the 106th Congress, H.R. 428 in 
        the 107th Congress, and S. 2092 in the 108th Congress to direct 
        the Secretary of State to establish a strategy for, and to 
        report annually to Congress on, efforts to obtain observer 
        status for Taiwan at the WHA. Congress also passed H.R. 1151 in 
        the 113th Congress, directing the Secretary to report on a 
        strategy to gain observer status for Taiwan at the ICAO 
        Assembly, and H.R. 1853 in the 114th Congress, directing the 
        Secretary to report on a strategy to gain observer status for 
        Taiwan at the INTERPOL Assembly. However, since 2016 Taiwan has 
        not received an invitation to attend any of these events as an 
        observer.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Augmentation of Report Concerning the Participation of 
Taiwan in the World Health Organization.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Subsection (c) of section 1 of 
        Public Law 108-235 (118 Stat. 656) is amended by adding at the 
        end the following new paragraph:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) An account of the changes and improvements 
        the Secretary of State has made to the United States plan to 
        endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the World 
        Health Assembly, following any annual meetings of the World 
        Health Assembly at which Taiwan did not obtain observer 
        status.''.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by 
        paragraph (1) shall take effect and apply beginning with the 
        first report required under subsection (c) of section 1 of 
        Public Law 108-235 that is submitted after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized 
        agency of the United Nations, charged with coordinating health 
        efforts within the United Nations system. The World Health 
        Assembly (WHA) is the decision-making body of the WHO, which 
        convenes annually in May to set the policies and priorities of 
        the organization. Statehood is not a requirement for attendance 
        at the WHA, and numerous observers, including non-members and 
        non-governmental organizations, attended the most recent WHA in 
        May 2018.
            (2) Taiwan began seeking to participate in the WHO as an 
        observer in 1997. In 2009, with strong support from successive 
        United States Administrations, Congress, and like-minded WHO 
        Member States, and during a period of improved Cross-Strait 
        relations, Taiwan received an invitation to attend the WHA as 
        an observer under the name ``Chinese Taipei''. Taiwan received 
        the same invitation each year until 2016, when following the 
        election of President Tsai-Ing Wen of the Democratic 
        Progressive Party, Taiwan's engagement in the international 
        community began facing increased resistance from the People's 
        Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan's invitation to the 2016 WHA 
        was received late and included new language conditioning 
        Taiwan's participation on the PRC's ``one China principle''. In 
        2017 and 2018, Taiwan did not receive an invitation to the WHA.
            (3) Taiwan remains a model contributor to world health, 
        having provided financial and technical assistance to respond 
        to numerous global health challenges. Taiwan has invested over 
        $6,000,000,000 in international medical and humanitarian aid 
        efforts impacting over 80 countries since 1996. In 2014, Taiwan 
        responded to the Ebola crisis by donating $1,000,000 and 
        providing 100,000 sets of personal protective equipment. 
        Through the Global Cooperation and Training Framework, the 
        United States and Taiwan have jointly conducted training 
        programs for experts to combat MERS, Dengue Fever, and Zika. 
        These diseases know no borders, and Taiwan's needless exclusion 
        from global health cooperation increases the dangers presented 
        by global pandemics.
            (4) Taiwan's international engagement has faced increased 
        resistance from the PRC. Taiwan was not invited to the 2016 
        Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization 
        (ICAO), despite participating as a guest at the organization's 
        prior summit in 2013. Taiwan's requests to participate in the 
        General Assembly of the International Criminal Police 
        Organization (INTERPOL) have also been rejected. In May 2017, 
        PRC delegates disrupted a meeting of the Kimberley Process on 
        conflict diamonds held in Perth, Australia, until delegates 
        from Taiwan were asked to leave. Since 2016, the Democratic 
        Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, the Republic of Panama, the 
        Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, and the Republic of El 
        Salvador have terminated longstanding diplomatic relationships 
        with Taiwan and granted diplomatic recognition to the PRC.
            (5) Congress has established a policy of support for 
        Taiwan's participation in international bodies that address 
        shared transnational challenges, particularly in the WHO. 
        Congress passed H.R. 1794 in the 106th Congress, H.R. 428 in 
        the 107th Congress, and S. 2092 in the 108th Congress to direct 
        the Secretary of State to establish a strategy for, and to 
        report annually to Congress on, efforts to obtain observer 
        status for Taiwan at the WHA. Congress also passed H.R. 1151 in 
        the 113th Congress, directing the Secretary to report on a 
        strategy to gain observer status for Taiwan at the ICAO 
        Assembly, and H.R. 1853 in the 114th Congress, directing the 
        Secretary to report on a strategy to gain observer status for 
        Taiwan at the INTERPOL Assembly. However, since 2016 Taiwan has 
        not received an invitation to attend any of these events as an 
        observer.
    (b) Augmentation of Report Concerning the Participation of Taiwan 
in the World Health Organization.--
            (1) In general.--Subsection (c) of section 1 of Public Law 
        108-235 (118 Stat. 656) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new paragraph:
            ``(3) An account of the changes and improvements the 
        Secretary of State has made to the United States plan to 
        endorse and obtain observer status for Taiwan at the World 
        Health Assembly, following any annual meetings of the World 
        Health Assembly at which Taiwan did not obtain observer 
        status.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall take effect and apply beginning with the first report 
        required under subsection (c) of section 1 of Public Law 108-
        235 that is submitted after the date of the enactment of this 
        Act.

SEC. 2. BRIEFING ON UNITED STATES STRATEGY REGARDING TAIWAN'S 
              INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter for three years, 
the Secretary of State shall provide to the appropriate congressional 
committees a briefing on actions taken by the United States to reaffirm 
and strengthen Taiwan's official and unofficial diplomatic 
relationships.
    (b) Elements.--The briefing required by subsection (a) shall 
include the following elements:
            (1) A description of the actions taken by the United States 
        commencing May 20, 2016, to consult with governments around the 
        world, including the governments that maintain official 
        diplomatic relations with Taiwan, with the purpose of inducing 
        those governments to maintain official diplomatic relations 
        with Taiwan or otherwise strengthen unofficial relations with 
        Taiwan.
            (2) An enumeration of specific countries of concern, if 
        any, and a description of the actions taken, or actions 
        anticipated, by those governments, commencing May 20, 2016, to 
        alter the formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan or to otherwise 
        downgrade official or unofficial relations.
            (3) A plan of action to engage with the governments of the 
        countries identified in paragraphs (1) and (2) and increase 
        cooperation with respect to Taiwan.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--In this section, the 
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASIA REASSURANCE 
              INITIATIVE ACT.

    It is the sense of Congress that the full and timely implementation 
of section 209 of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (Public Law 115-
409), which reiterates longstanding bipartisan United States policy, is 
critical to demonstrate United States support for Taiwan.
                                                       Calendar No. 100

116th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 249

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain 
 observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization, and for 
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              June 3, 2019

                       Reported with an amendment
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