View source for Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act

{{Short description|United States law strengthening US-Taiwan political and commercial relations}}
{{Infobox U.S. legislation
|shorttitle        = Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019
|othershorttitles  = 
|longtitle         = An Act to express United States support for Taiwan's diplomatic alliances around the world.
|colloquialacronym = TAIPEI Act
|nickname          = 
|enacted by        = 116th
|effective date    = March 26, 2020
|cite public law   = {{USPL|116|135}}
|cite statutes at large = {{usstat|134|278}}
|acts amended    = 
|acts repealed   = 
|title amended   = 
|sections created = 
|sections amended = 
|leghisturl      = https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1678
|introducedin    = Senate
|introducedbill  = [https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1678 S.1678]
|introducedby    = [[Cory Gardner]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-[[Colorado|CO]])
|introduceddate  = May 23, 2019
|committees      = [[United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs|House Foreign Affairs]], [[House Ways and Means]], [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Foreign Relations]]
|passedbody1     = Senate
|passeddate1     = October 29, 2019
|passedvote1     = unanimous consent
|passedbody2     = House
|passeddate2     = March 4, 2020
|passedvote2     = [https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202085 415–0]
|agreedbody3     = Senate
|agreeddate3     = March 11, 2020
|agreedvote3     = unanimous consent
|signedpresident = [[Donald Trump]]
|signeddate      = March 26, 2020
|unsignedpresident = 
|unsigneddate    = 
|vetoedpresident = 
|vetoeddate      = 
|overriddenbody1 = 
|overriddendate1 = 
|overriddenvote1 = 
|overriddenbody2 = 
|overriddendate2 = 
|overriddenvote2 = 
|amendments      = 
|SCOTUS cases    = 
}}
The '''Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019''' ('''TAIPEI Act'''; {{USStatute|116|135|134|278|2020|03|26}}; {{USBill|116|s|1678}}) is an [[Act of Congress|Act of the United States Congress]]. It aims to increase the scope of US relations with [[Taiwan]] and encourage other nations and international organizations to strengthen their official and unofficial ties with the island nation.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hsu|first=Stacy|url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202003270004|title=Trump signs TAIPEI Act into law|date=March 27, 2020|access-date=March 29, 2020|url-status=live|agency=[[Central News Agency (Taiwan)|Central News Agency]]|last2=Huang|first2=Frances|last3=Chen|first3=Christie|last4=Lin|first4=Ko|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327204825/https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202003270004|archive-date=March 27, 2020}}</ref>

The law is considered a further upgrade to [[Taiwan–United States relations]]<ref>{{cite web | last1=Ben | first1=Blanchard | last2=Tian | first2=Yew Lun | title=U.S. increases support for Taiwan, China threatens to strike back | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-usa/u-s-increases-support-for-taiwan-china-threatens-to-strike-back-idUSKBN21E0B7 | date=March 26, 2020 | work=[[Reuters]] | accessdate=March 27, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327103946/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-usa/u-s-increases-support-for-taiwan-china-threatens-to-strike-back-idUSKBN21E0B7 | archive-date=March 27, 2020 | url-status=live }}</ref> after passing the [[Taiwan Travel Act]] in 2018 and was passed at a time in which the [[People's Republic of China]] was engaged in a campaign to restrict the diplomatic space of Taiwan.

==Background==
{{See also|Cross-Strait relations}}
After [[Tsai Ing-wen]] was inaugurated as [[President of Taiwan]] in 2016, the People's Republic of China (mainland China) started an extensive campaign to isolate the island state internationally, and by 2019 the number of countries maintaining official relations with [[Taipei]] had fallen from 22 to 15.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news|date=20 September 2019|title=As Taiwan Loses Influence, China Gains Ground in Race With U.S.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/world/asia/taiwan-kiribati-china.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=9 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108170622/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/world/asia/taiwan-kiribati-china.html|archive-date=8 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Meanwhile, following the election of [[Donald Trump]] as [[President of the United States|U.S. president]], [[China–United States relations|U.S.–China relations]] had deteriorated, especially since the start of the [[China–United States trade war]] in 2018. While Taiwan felt its international space shrinking, relations with the US saw major breakthroughs, including a [[Trump–Tsai call|phone call between Trump and Tsai]], the passage of the [[Taiwan Travel Act]], and cabinet-level meetings between the two countries. In order to disincentivize remaining countries to switch recognition away from Taiwan, and to allow the island greater participation in international organizations, the TAIPEI Act was conceived.

==Provisions==
Provisions of the TAIPEI Act state that the U.S. should:<ref name="senate">{{cite web|date=23 May 2019|title=S.1678 - Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1678/actions?KWICView=false|work=United States Congress|accessdate=11 March 2020}}</ref>
*Advocate, as appropriate, for Taiwan's membership in all international organizations in which statehood is not a requirement and in which the United States is also a participant; and for Taiwan to be granted observer status in other appropriate international organizations;
*To instruct, as appropriate, representatives of the United States Government in all organizations to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to advocate for Taiwan's membership or observer status in such organizations;
*To advocate, as appropriate, for Taiwan's membership or observer status in all organizations as part of any relevant bilateral engagements between the United States and the People's Republic of China, including leader summits and the U.S.-China Comprehensive Economic Dialogue.

==Reaction==
===Domestic===
[[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] [[Nancy Pelosi]] underlined the bipartisan support that helped pass the act and stated that it "celebrates and supports Taiwan’s commitment to democracy, by preserving and promoting its position on the international stage."<ref name="Speaker of the House">{{cite news|date=4 March 2020|title=Pelosi Statement on Passage of TAIPEI Act|url=https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/3420-1|accessdate=9 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312001020/https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/3420-1|archive-date=12 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Taiwan===
After the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the act, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen expressed thanks and said that "her country will continue to work with the U.S. to contribute to the peaceful and stable development of the Indo-Pacific Region."<ref name="taiwan news">{{cite news|date=5 March 2020|title=Taiwan president thanks US House for passing Taipei Act|url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3890601|work=[[Taiwan News]]|accessdate=9 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420203512/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3890601|archive-date=20 April 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

===People's Republic of China===
China opposed the passing of the act, calling the move a severe violation of the [[One-China policy|one-China principle]] and the three China-U.S. joint communiques. It reiterated its stance that China has long been opposed to any form of official exchanges between Taiwan and the United States.<ref>{{cite web | title=China denounces new U.S. law on supporting Taiwan | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-usa-china/china-denounces-new-u-s-law-on-supporting-taiwan-idUSKBN21E0X4 | date=March 27, 2020 | work=[[Reuters]] | accessdate=March 27, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327135502/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-taiwan-usa-china/china-denounces-new-u-s-law-on-supporting-taiwan-idUSKBN21E0X4 | archive-date=March 27, 2020 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Taiwan Relations Act]]
* [[Taiwan Travel Act]]
* [[Six Assurances]]
* [[Political status of Taiwan]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC_CBp9Dhl4 TAIPEI Act on House Floor]
* [https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s1678/text Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act]  full text
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aEYkgX8ZW8 President Tsai thanks US House of Representatives for passing TAIPEI Act]

{{Foreign relations of the United States}}
{{Foreign relations of Taiwan}}
{{Taiwan–United States relations}}

[[Category:Acts of the 116th United States Congress]]
[[Category:United States foreign relations legislation]]
[[Category:Taiwan–United States relations]]
[[Category:China–United States relations]]
[[Category:2020 in international relations]]