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| Long title | An Act to express United States support for Taiwan's diplomatic alliances around the world. |
|---|---|
| Acronyms(colloquial) | TAIPEI Act |
| Enacted by | the116th United States Congress |
| Effective | March 26, 2020 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 116–135 (text)(PDF) |
| Statutes at Large | 134 Stat. 278 |
| Legislative history | |
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TheTaiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019 (TAIPEI Act;Pub. L. 116–135 (text)(PDF), 134 Stat. 278, enactedMarch 26, 2020;S. 1678) is anAct of the United States Congress. It aims to increase the scope of US relations withTaiwan and encourage other nations and international organizations to strengthen their official and unofficial ties with the island nation.[1]
The law is considered a further upgrade toTaiwan–United States relations[2] after passing theTaiwan Travel Act in 2018 and was passed at a time in which thePeople's Republic of China was engaged in a campaign to restrict the diplomatic space of Taiwan.
AfterTsai Ing-wen was inaugurated asPresident 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 withTaipei had fallen from 22 to 15.[3] Meanwhile, following the election ofDonald Trump asU.S. president,U.S.–China relations had deteriorated, especially since the start of theChina–United States trade war in 2018. While Taiwan felt its international space shrinking, relations with the US saw major breakthroughs, including aphone call between Trump and Tsai, the passage of theTaiwan 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 of the TAIPEI Act state that the U.S. should:[4]
Speaker of the HouseNancy 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."[5]
After the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the act, Taiwanese PresidentTsai 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."[6]
China opposed the passing of the act, calling the move a severe violation of theone-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.[7]
