I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1173 
To authorize the President to use military force for the purpose of securing 
and defending Taiwan against armed attack, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 18, 2021 
Mr. RESCHENTHALER (for himself, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. BURCHETT, Mr. 
CRENSHAW, Mr. PERRY, Mr. WALTZ, and Mr. TIFFANY) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Ways and 
Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the President to use military force for the 
purpose of securing and defending Taiwan against armed 
attack, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Taiwan Invasion Pre-
vention Act’’. 
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TITLE I—AUTHORIZATION FOR 
USE 
OF 
UNITED 
STATES 
ARMED FORCES 
SEC. 101. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Taiwan is a free and prosperous democracy 
of nearly 24,000,000 people and an important con-
tributor to peace and stability around the world. 
(2) Section 2(b) of the Taiwan Relations Act 
(Public Law 96–8; 22 U.S.C. 3301(b)) states that it 
is the policy of the United States— 
(A) ‘‘to preserve and promote extensive, 
close, and friendly commercial, cultural, and 
other relations between the people of the United 
States and the people on Taiwan, as well as the 
people on the China mainland and all other peo-
ples of the Western Pacific area’’; 
(B) ‘‘to declare that peace and stability in 
the area are in the political, security, and eco-
nomic interests of the United States, and are 
matters of international concern’’; 
(C) ‘‘to make clear that the United States 
decision to establish diplomatic relations with 
the People’s Republic of China rests upon the 
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expectation that the future of Taiwan will be 
determined by peaceful means’’; 
(D) ‘‘to consider 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 the Western 
Pacific area and of grave concern to the United 
States’’; 
(E) ‘‘to provide Taiwan with arms of a de-
fensive character’’; and 
(F) ‘‘to maintain the capacity of the 
United States to resist any resort to force or 
other forms of coercion that would jeopardize 
the security, or the social or economic system, 
of the people on Taiwan’’. 
(3) Since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen 
as President of Taiwan in 2016, the Government of 
the People’s Republic of China has intensified its ef-
forts to pressure Taiwan through diplomatic isola-
tion and military provocations. 
(4) The rapid modernization of the People’s 
Liberation Army and recent military maneuvers in 
and around the Taiwan Strait illustrate a clear 
threat to Taiwan’s security. 
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(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) both the United States and Taiwan have 
made significant strides since 1979 in bolstering 
their defense relationship; 
(2) the People’s Republic of China has dramati-
cally increased the capability of its military forces 
since 1979; 
(3) the People’s Republic of China has in recent 
years increased the use of its military forces to har-
ass and provoke Taiwan with the threat of over-
whelming force; and 
(4) that it is the policy of the United States to 
consider any effort to determine the future of Tai-
wan by anything other than peaceful means, includ-
ing by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace 
and security of the Western Pacific area, and of 
grave concern to the United States. 
SEC. 102. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES 
ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 
use the Armed Forces of the United States and take such 
other measures as the President determines to be nec-
essary and appropriate in order to secure and protect Tai-
wan against the following: 
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(1) Direct armed attack by the military forces 
of the People’s Republic of China against the mili-
tary forces of Taiwan. 
(2) The taking of territory under the effective 
jurisdiction of Taiwan by the military forces of the 
People’s Republic of China. 
(3) The endangering of the lives of members of 
the military forces of Taiwan or civilians within the 
effective jurisdiction of Taiwan in cases in which 
such members or civilians have been killed or are in 
imminent danger of being killed. 
(b) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) SPECIFIC
STATUTORY
AUTHORIZATION.— 
Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers 
Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is 
intended to constitute specific statutory authoriza-
tion within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War 
Powers Resolution. 
(2) 
APPLICABILITY
OF
OTHER
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Nothing in this Act supersedes any re-
quirement of the War Powers Resolution. 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that, at the earliest possible date after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the President should release 
a public declaration that it is the policy of the United 
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States to secure and protect Taiwan against the actions 
of the People’s Republic of China described in paragraphs 
(1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a). 
(d) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 
United States to demand that the People’s Republic of 
China officially renounce the use or threat of military 
force in any attempt to unify with Taiwan. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION PERIOD.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The authorization for use of 
the Armed Forces under this section shall expire on 
the date that is 5 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
(2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 
Congress that the authorization for use of the 
Armed Forces under this section should be reauthor-
ized by a subsequent Act of Congress. 
TITLE II—OTHER MATTERS 
SEC. 201. REGIONAL SECURITY DIALOGUE TO IMPROVE SE-
CURITY RELATIONSHIPS IN THE WESTERN 
PACIFIC AREA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of De-
fense, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the 
heads of other relevant Federal agencies as appropriate, 
shall seek to convene on an annual basis a regional secu-
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rity dialogue with the Government of Taiwan and the gov-
ernments of like-minded security partners to improve the 
security relationships among the United States and such 
countries in the Western Pacific area. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The regional secu-
rity dialogue may consider matters relating to— 
(1) coordinating lower-level military-to-military 
dialogue; and 
(2) planning for potential military confrontation 
scenarios. 
SEC. 202. UNITED STATES-TAIWAN BILATERAL TRADE 
AGREEMENT. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the United States Trade Representative 
should seek to enter into negotiations with representatives 
from Taiwan to establish a bilateral trade agreement be-
tween the United States and Taiwan. 
SEC. 203. UNITED STATES-TAIWAN COMBINED MILITARY 
EXERCISES AND RELATED ACTIONS. 
(a) COMBINED MILITARY EXERCISES.—The Sec-
retary of Defense, in coordination with the heads of other 
relevant Federal agencies, should seek to carry out a pro-
gram of combined military exercises between the United 
States, Taiwan, and, if feasible, United States allies and 
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partners to improve military coordination and relations 
with Taiwan. 
(b) COMBINED DISASTER RELIEF EXERCISES.—The 
Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the heads of 
other relevant Federal agencies, should engage with their 
counterparts in Taiwan to organize combined disaster and 
humanitarian relief exercises. 
(c) TAIWAN STRAIT TRANSITS, FREEDOM OF NAVI-
GATION OPERATIONS, AND PRESENCE OPERATIONS.— 
The Secretary of Defense should consider increasing tran-
sits through the Taiwan Strait, Freedom of Navigation 
Operations in the Taiwan Strait, and Presence Operations 
in the Western Pacific area by the United States Navy, 
including in conjunction with United States allies and 
partners. 
(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that Taiwan should dedicate additional domestic re-
sources toward advancing its military readiness for pur-
poses of defending Taiwan, including through— 
(1) steady increases in annual defense spending 
as a share of gross domestic product (GDP); 
(2) procurements of defense technologies that 
directly bolster Taiwan’s asymmetric defense capa-
bilities; 
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(3) reform of Taiwan’s military reserves, includ-
ing increasing the length of training required and 
number of days required in service annually; 
(4) participation with United States Armed 
Forces in combined military exercises; and 
(5) further engagement with the United States 
on strengthening Taiwan’s cyber capabilities. 
SEC. 204. UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR DEFENDING TAI-
WAN. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the Secretary of State should, given the se-
curity considerations posed by the People’s Republic 
of China, accelerate the approval of sales of defense 
articles and services to Taiwan for purposes of de-
fending Taiwan; and 
(2) the Secretary of Defense should offer sup-
port to Taiwan by— 
(A) continuing to send United States mili-
tary advisors to Taiwan for training purposes; 
(B) encouraging members of the United 
States Armed Forces to enroll in Taiwan’s Na-
tional Defense University; 
(C) maintaining a significant United 
States naval presence within a close proximity 
to Taiwan; and 
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