Title: Reaffirming the commitment of the United States to Taiwan's continued peace and autonomy and to the beneficial partnership and mutual strategic interests of the United States and Taiwan.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution reaffirms the commitment of the United States to certain legislation and reassurances relating to the unofficial U.S.-Taiwan relationship. It also reaffirms the commitment of the United States to continued diplomatic and military coordination with Taiwan and condemns the Chinese government's military escalations toward Taiwan.
(China claims sovereignty over Taiwan and, as a result, the United States has an unofficial relationship with Taiwan.)

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 371 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 371

 Reaffirming the commitment of the United States to Taiwan's continued 
    peace and autonomy and to the beneficial partnership and mutual 
          strategic interests of the United States and Taiwan.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2021

 Mr. Buck (for himself, Ms. Salazar, Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Jackson, and 
 Mr. Steube) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Reaffirming the commitment of the United States to Taiwan's continued 
    peace and autonomy and to the beneficial partnership and mutual 
          strategic interests of the United States and Taiwan.

Whereas pursuant to section 2(b)(1) of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 
        3301(b)(1)), it is the policy of the United States to ``promote 
        extensive, close, and friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations 
        between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan'';
Whereas the United States and Taiwan enjoy a close unofficial relationship based 
        upon the guidelines set forth in the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six 
        Assurances;
Whereas the continued implementation of the One-China Policy and other 
        understandings ensuring Taiwan's security and autonomy are critical to 
        the strategic, economic, and democratic interests of the United States 
        in the Indo-Pacific region;
Whereas Taiwan continues to embody and promote democratic values, freedom, and 
        human rights within the island and throughout the surrounding region;
Whereas trade between the United States and Taiwan contributes meaningfully to 
        our mutual economic growth;
Whereas Taiwan implemented rapid, restrained, and effective policies that 
        successfully mitigated the impacts of COVID-19 on the island and also 
        played a significant role in distributing personal protective equipment 
        and other important resources internationally to bolster other 
        countries' efforts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, 
        despite being cut off from international health organizations and other 
        fora by the People's Republic of China;
Whereas the People's Liberation Army of China has engaged in deeply concerning 
        military activities in Taiwanese waters and airspace that threaten the 
        maintenance of peaceful cross-strait relations;
Whereas the Chinese Government has indicated through its rhetoric and actions an 
        openness to the forceful reunification of Taiwan with mainland China, 
        which contravenes the Chinese Government's obligations under 
        international law and a rules-based order;
Whereas the Chinese Government is currently implementing a comprehensive 
        totalitarian policy agenda that fundamentally sabotages national, 
        regional, and global stability and security;
Whereas Chinese President Xi Jinping's efforts to establish a ``Great 
        Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation'' through policies that mandate 
        national uniformity and assimilation to ``Xi Jinping Thought'' erodes 
        natural human differences and human flourishing and have been the 
        ideological catalyst for many of China's malevolent activities;
Whereas former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and current Secretary of State 
        Antony Blinken have determined that the Communist government of China is 
        actively implementing a policy of genocide and crimes against humanity 
        against Uyghur and other ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang;
Whereas the central government of China and party apparatchiks in Hong Kong have 
        fundamentally annihilated Hong Kong's democratic system, as well as its 
        people's civic and political freedoms, flagrantly violating the terms of 
        the Sino-British Joint Declaration;
Whereas under China's Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong 
        Special Administrative Region, passed on June 30, 2020, Chinese 
        officials have mass arrested pro-democracy leaders, democratically 
        elected officials to the Legislative Council, those seeking to escape 
        China's oppressive grip over Hong Kong, and anyone who dares to oppose 
        or criticize the Communist Party of China, and denied these individuals 
        access to legal counsel and of their legal rights guaranteed under 
        Chinese and Hong Kong law;
Whereas the Chinese Government has established a consistent pattern of violating 
        freedom of navigation and international laws related to the South China 
        Sea, including in contravention of the UN Convention on the Law of the 
        Sea tribunal's ruling against China's expansionist activities there;
Whereas since 1997, the Chinese Communist Party has severely persecuted Falun 
        Gong practitioners and those who are sympathetic to Falun Dafa, 
        including subjecting these individuals to forced organ harvesting, 
        physical abuse, torture, arbitrary detainment, and other forms of 
        discrimination and persecution; and
Whereas the United States remains committed to supporting Taiwan through legally 
        permissible means, including through diplomatic, educational, and 
        military exchanges: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms the commitments of the United States to the 
        Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances;
            (2) further reaffirms the United States continued 
        diplomatic and military coordination with Taiwan;
            (3) condemns the Chinese Government's military escalations 
        toward Taiwan;
            (4) encourages the Secretary of Defense to establish and 
        engage in security talks with Taiwan and regional allies with 
        the aim of countering military threats posed by China toward 
        Taiwan;
            (5) affirms the United States commitment, to the extent 
        practicable, to ensuring that the Taiwanese people are free 
        from invasion from any country, including by offering active 
        military support in the event of a military campaign against 
        the island such as a military blockade of Taiwan;
            (6) further affirms that it is the policy of the United 
        States of America to prevent a fait accompli of the overthrow 
        of Taiwan by the People's Republic of China; and
            (7) supports policies that increase the freedom of trade 
        and commerce between the United States and Taiwan.
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