Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty
The act authorizes "de facto" diplomatic relations with the governing authorities by giving special powers to the AIT to the level that it is the "de facto" embassy, and states that any international agreements made between the ROC and U.S. before 1979 are still valid unless otherwise terminated. One agreement that was unilaterally terminated by President Jimmy Carter upon the establishment of relations with the PRC was the Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty.