It would be suicide for them to be considered subordinate. Faced with this diplomatically dicey situation, Washington's first response was to quickly reassure Beijing that it stands by its 1972 one-China policy. Yet while calming Beijing and essentially telling Taipei to cool its rhetoric, experts and critics say the Clinton administration is prioritizing security concerns involving Beijing at the expense of accommodating Taiwan's growing democracy. Adding to the complexity of US diplomacy is congressional support for Taiwan. Administration measures drew a harsh reaction from staunch Taiwan supporters in Congress this week.
China strongly opposes theater missile defense for Taiwan.
The bill is designed as a follow-up to Helm's 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the basic law that obliges the United States to take appropriate action in the case of threats to Taiwan.