Title: A concurrent resolution recognizing the close relationship between the United States and Taiwan and the important role of the American Institute in Taiwan in strengthening such relationship.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Welcomes the opening of the new American Institute of Taiwan office in Taipei.
Urges the executive branch to fully implement the Taiwan Relations Act, the Taiwan Travel Act, and other policy directives that strengthen the U.S.-Taiwan relationship.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 40 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 40

Recognizing the close relationship between the United States and Taiwan 
     and the important role of the American Institute in Taiwan in 
                    strengthening such relationship.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 14, 2018

Mr. Gardner (for himself, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Inhofe, and 
  Mr. Rubio) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the close relationship between the United States and Taiwan 
     and the important role of the American Institute in Taiwan in 
                    strengthening such relationship.

Whereas Taiwan is--

    (1) a free, democratic, and prosperous nation of 23,000,000 people; and

    (2) an important contributor to peace and stability around the world;

Whereas the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.)--

    (1) states that it is the policy of the United States ``to preserve and 
promote extensive, close, and friendly commercial, cultural, and other 
relations between the people of the United States and the people of 
Taiwan'';

    (2) states ``Programs, transactions, and other relations conducted or 
carried out by the President or any agency of the United States Government 
with respect to Taiwan shall, in the manner and to the extent directed by 
the President, be conducted and carried out by or through ... the American 
Institute in Taiwan''; and

    (3) established the American Institute in Taiwan, which is responsible 
for--

    G    (A) managing unofficial United States relations with Taiwan; and

    G    (B) implementing United States policy toward Taiwan, including a 
wide range of activities such as commercial services, agricultural sales, 
consular services, and cultural exchanges;

Whereas the 3 pillars of the American Institute in Taiwan's mission are--

    (1) security and defense cooperation;

    (2) commercial and economic relations; and

    (3) people-to-people ties;

Whereas the American Institute in Taiwan--

    (1) will open its new office complex in Taipei on June 12, 2018, 
which--

    G    (A) consists of 14,934 square meters of office space constructed 
at a cost of $250,000,000, underscoring the United States commitment to its 
relationship with Taiwan;

    G    (B) will allow all of its sections and operations in Taipei to be 
co-located in a modern, secure, and energy efficient facility;

    G    (C) was built with a combination of materials from the United 
States and Taiwan;

    G    (D) will be staffed by a workforce of approximately 500 employees 
from the United States, Taiwan, and other countries; and

    G    (E) will host a permanent ``Art in AIT'' collection of works by 
United States and Taiwan artists that embodies the artistic and cultural 
confluences of innumerable person-to-person ties that link Taiwan and the 
United States;

    (2) also has a branch office in Kaohsiung, which has more than 30 
employees; and

    (3) processed 34,000 visas in 2017;

Whereas President Tsai Ing-wen visited the American Institute of Taiwan on May 
        15, 2018, and plans to attend its official opening on June 12, 2018;
Whereas since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, the Government of 
        the People's Republic of China has intensified its efforts to exclude 
        Taiwan from international organizations;
Whereas in the 1994 Taiwan Policy Review, the United States declared its 
        intention to support Taiwan's participation in appropriate international 
        organizations;
Whereas Taiwan is a full member of the World Trade Organization, the Asia-
        Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and the Asian Development Bank;
Whereas according to the Department of State, ``the United States supports 
        Taiwan's membership in international organizations that do not require 
        statehood as a condition of membership and encourages Taiwan's 
        meaningful participation in international organizations where its 
        membership is not possible'';
Whereas Taiwan maintains full diplomatic relations with 18 nations around the 
        world;
Whereas on February 28, 2018, the United States Senate unanimously passed the 
        Taiwan Travel Act (Public Law 115-135), which was signed into law on 
        March 16, 2018, declaring that it should be the policy of the United 
        States to allow officials at all levels of the United States Government 
        to visit Taiwan in their official capacities; and
Whereas the United States National Security Strategy, which was released in 
        December 2017, states: ``We will maintain our strong ties with Taiwan in 
        accordance with our `One China' policy, including our commitments under 
        the Taiwan Relations Act to provide for Taiwan's legitimate defense 
        needs and deter coercion.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) welcomes the opening of the new American Institute of 
        Taiwan office in Taipei, which will--
                    (A) cultivate the relationship between the United 
                States and Taiwan; and
                    (B) further demonstrate the United States 
                commitment to bolstering its friendship and its 
                commercial and defense partnership with Taiwan;
            (2) recognizes that the American Institute of Taiwan--
                    (A) reflects the democratic values shared by the 
                United States and Taiwan; and
                    (B) represents close cooperation on emerging 
                regional and global issues;
            (3) emphasizes that the new American Institute of Taiwan 
        facility--
                    (A) demonstrates a strong United States-Taiwan 
                partnership; and
                    (B) reflects the increasing depth of our unofficial 
                relationship;
            (4) expresses hope that the United States and Taiwan will 
        continue to foster and seek new ways to build upon the robust 
        relationship, facilitated through the American Institute of 
        Taiwan; and
            (5) urges the executive branch to fully implement the 
        Taiwan Relations Act, the Taiwan Travel Act, and other relevant 
        policy directives that strengthen the relationship between the 
        United States and Taiwan.
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