Taiwan Travel Act

Bill: 114-hr-6047
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Chabot, Steve [R-OH-1]
Introduced: 2016-09-15
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Asia

Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

Taiwan

Travel and tourism
Latest action: action_date: 2016-09-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-09-15
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Taiwan Travel Act</strong></p> <p>This bill states that it should be U.S. policy to permit: (1) high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the United States under respectful conditions and to meet with U.S. officials, including officials from the Department of State and the Department of Defense; and (2) the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, and any other instrumentality established by Taiwan, to conduct official business in the United States.</p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6047 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 15, 2016 Mr. Chabot (for himself, Mr. Sherman , and Mr. Poe of Texas ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Taiwan Travel Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) The Taiwan Relations Act ( 22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq. ), enacted in 1979, has continued for 37 years to be the cornerstone of relations between the United States and Taiwan and has served as an anchor for peace and security in the Western Pacific area. (2) The Taiwan Relations Act declares that peace and stability in the Western Pacific area are in the political, security, and economic interests of the United States and are matters of international concern. (3) The United States considers 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 and of grave concern to the United States. (4) Taiwan has succeeded in a momentous transition to democracy beginning in the late 1980s and has been a beacon of democratic practices in Asia, and Taiwan’s democratic achievements inspire many countries and people in the region. (5) Through the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States treats Taiwan as a sovereign, independent country. (6) Visits to a country by United States cabinet members and other high-ranking officials are an indicator of the breadth and depth of ties between the United States and such country. (7) Since the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act, relations between the United States and Taiwan have suffered from a lack of communication due to the self-imposed restrictions that the United States maintains on high-level visits with Taiwan. 3. Sense of Congress; statement of policy (a) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the United States should encourage visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels. (b) Statement of policy It should be the policy of the United States— (1) to allow high-level officials of Taiwan to enter the United States, under conditions which demonstrate appropriate respect for the dignity of such officials, and to meet with officials of the United States, including officials from the Department of State and the Department of Defense; and (2) to permit the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, and any other instrumentality established by Taiwan, to conduct official business in the United States, including activities which involve participation by Members of Congress, officials of Federal, State, or local governments of the United States, or any high-level official of Taiwan.