[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1588 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1588
To support United States policy toward Taiwan.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 5, 2025
Mr. Merkley (for himself and Mr. Curtis) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support United States policy toward Taiwan.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act
of 2025''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States Government
should continue strengthening cooperation with Taiwan under the
framework of the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96-8; 22 U.S.C. 3301
et seq.) and the Six Assurances with consideration of the ongoing
military buildup in China and the imbalance in the security environment
in the Taiwan Strait, including by--
(1) promoting dignity and respect for its Taiwan
counterparts, who represent more than 23,000,000 citizens, by
using the full range of the United States Government's
diplomatic and financial tools to promote Taiwan's inclusion
and meaningful participation in international organizations, as
well as in bilateral and multilateral security summits,
military exercises, and economic dialogues and forums;
(2) urging Taiwan to increase its own investments in
military capabilities that support implementation of its
asymmetric defense strategy; and
(3) prioritizing the negotiation of a free-trade agreement
with Taiwan that provides high levels of labor rights and
environmental protection as soon as possible to deepen economic
ties between the United States and Taiwan.
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY POLICY COORDINATION ON TAIWAN.
(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to
create and execute a plan for enhancing its relationship with Taiwan by
strengthening the robust partnership that meets the challenges of the
21st century while remaining faithful to United States principles and
values in keeping with the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances.
(b) Interagency Taiwan Policy Task Force.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall review
and consolidate existing interagency processes related to Taiwan
(including formal National Security Council-led processes and other
informal, ad-hoc interagency coordination processes) to create an
interagency Taiwan Policy Task Force consisting of senior officials
from the Office of the President, the National Security Council, the
Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of the
Treasury, the Department of Commerce, and the Office of the United
States Trade Representative.
(c) Report.--The interagency Taiwan Policy Task Force established
under subsection (b) shall contribute annually to existing
congressionally mandated reports outlining policy and actions to be
taken in the next year to enhance the United States partnership and
relations with Taiwan, including reports required under the Taiwan
Enhanced Resilience Act (subtitle A of title XII of Public Law 117-
263), the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement
Initiative (TAIPEI) Act (Public Law 116-135), and the Taiwan Travel Act
(Public Law 115-135).
SEC. 4. AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN.
(a) Appointment of Director.--The Director of the American
Institute in Taiwan's Taipei office shall be appointed by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and
effective upon enactment of this Act shall have the title of
Representative.
(b) Vacancy.--A vacancy in the position of Director shall be filled
within 60 days. If such position remains unfilled for more than 60
days, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific
Affairs, in consultation with the Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs, shall immediately appoint a senior Foreign Service
Officer to serve as acting Director until a new Director is appointed
and confirmed for such position pursuant to subsection (a).
SEC. 5. PARTICIPATION OF TAIWAN IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to
promote Taiwan's inclusion and meaningful participation in meetings
held by international organizations.
(b) Support for Meaningful Participation.--The Permanent
Representative of the United States to the United Nations and other
relevant United States officials should actively support Taiwan's
meaningful participation in international organizations, including
membership where applicable.
(c) Report.--Beginning not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall annually
incorporate reporting on China's efforts to block Taiwan's meaningful
participation and inclusion at the United Nations and other
international bodies, and recommend appropriate responses to be taken
by the United States, as part of existing congressionally mandated
reports, including reports required under the Taiwan Enhanced
Resilience Act (subtitle A of title XII of Public Law 117-263), the
Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative
(TAIPEI) Act (Public Law 116-135), and the Taiwan Travel Act (Public
Law 115-135).
SEC. 6. INVITATION OF TAIWAN COUNTERPARTS TO HIGH-LEVEL BILATERAL AND
MULTILATERAL FORUMS AND EXERCISES.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to invite Taiwan counterparts to participate in high-
level bilateral and multilateral summits, military exercises,
and economic dialogues and forums on issues of mutual concern;
(2) that the United States Government and Taiwan
counterparts should resume meetings under either the United
States-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, the
United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade, or other
appropriate mechanisms to reach a bilateral free trade
agreement;
(3) that the United States Government should invite Taiwan
to participate in bilateral and multilateral military training
exercises; and
(4) that the United States Government and Taiwan
counterparts should engage in a regular and routine strategic
bilateral dialogue on arms sales in accordance with Foreign
Military Sales mechanisms, and the United States Government
should support export licenses for direct commercial sales
supporting Taiwan's indigenous defensive capabilities.
SEC. 7. PROHIBITIONS AGAINST UNDERMINING UNITED STATES POLICY REGARDING
TAIWAN.
(a) Finding.--Congress finds that the efforts by the Government of
the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party to
compel private United States businesses, corporations, and
nongovernmental entities to use PRC-mandated language to describe the
relationship between Taiwan and China are an intolerable attempt to
enforce political censorship globally and should be considered an
attack on the fundamental underpinnings of all democratic and free
societies, including the constitutionally protected right to freedom of
speech.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the
President, in coordination with United States businesses and
nongovernmental entities and in consultation with Congress, should
develop and implement a strategy for interacting with the Government of
the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party and
affiliated entities, the aim of which is--
(1) to counter PRC sharp power operations, which threaten
free speech, academic freedom, and the normal operations of
United States businesses and nongovernmental entities; and
(2) to counter PRC efforts to censor the way the world
refers to issues deemed sensitive to the Government of the
People's Republic of China and Chinese Communist Party leaders,
including issues related to Taiwan, Tibet, the Tiananmen Square
Massacre, and the mass internment of Uyghurs and other Turkic
Muslims, among many other issues.
(c) Prohibition on Recognition of PRC Claims to Sovereignty Over
Taiwan.--
(1) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(A) issues related to the sovereignty of Taiwan are
for the people of Taiwan to decide through the
democratic process they have established;
(B) the dispute between the People's Republic of
China and Taiwan must be resolved peacefully and with
the assent of the people of Taiwan;
(C) the primary obstacle to peaceful resolution is
the authoritarian nature of the PRC political system
under one-party rule of the Chinese Communist Party,
which is fundamentally incompatible with Taiwan's
democracy; and
(D) any attempt to coerce the people of Taiwan to
accept a political arrangement that would subject them
to direct or indirect rule by the PRC, including a
``one country, two systems'' framework, would
constitute a grave challenge to United States security
interests in the region.
(2) Statement of policy.--It is the policy of the United
States to oppose any attempt by the PRC authorities to
unilaterally impose a timetable or deadline for unification on
Taiwan.
(3) Prohibition on recognition of prc claims without assent
of people of taiwan.--No department or agency of the United
States Government should formally or informally recognize PRC
claims to sovereignty over Taiwan without the assent of the
people of Taiwan, as expressed directly through the democratic
process.
(4) Treatment of taiwan government.--
(A) In general.--The Department of State and other
United States Government agencies should treat the
democratically elected Government of Taiwan as the
legitimate representative of the people of Taiwan.
Notwithstanding the continued supporting role of the
American Institute in Taiwan in carrying out United
States foreign policy and protecting United States
interests in Taiwan, the United States Government
should not place any restrictions on the ability of
officials of the Department of State and other United
States Government agencies from interacting directly
and routinely with counterparts in the Taiwan
government.
(B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this
paragraph shall be construed as entailing restoration
of diplomatic relations with the Republic of China,
which were terminated on January 1, 1979, or altering
the United States Government's position on Taiwan's
international status.
(d) Strategy To Protect United States Businesses and
Nongovernmental Entities From Coercion.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of
the Treasury, and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies,
shall submit an unclassified report, with a classified annex if
necessary, to protect United States businesses and
nongovernmental entities from sharp power operations, including
coercion and threats that lead to censorship or self-
censorship, or which compel compliance with political or
foreign policy positions of the Government of the People's
Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party. The strategy
shall include the following elements:
(A) Information on efforts by the Government of the
People's Republic of China to censor the websites of
United States airlines, hotels, and other businesses
regarding the relationship between Taiwan and the
People's Republic of China.
(B) Information on efforts by the Government of the
People's Republic of China to target United States
nongovernmental entities through sharp power operations
intended to weaken support for Taiwan.
(C) Information on United States Government efforts
to counter the threats posed by Chinese state-sponsored
propaganda and disinformation, including information on
best practices, current successes, and existing
barriers to responding to this threat.
(D) Details of any actions undertaken to create a
code of conduct pursuant to subsection (b) and a
timetable for implementation.
(2) Subsequent reporting.--Beginning not later than one
year after submission of the report required under paragraph
(1), the Secretary of State shall include the elements required
in such report as part of existing congressionally mandated
reports, including reports required under the Taiwan Enhanced
Resilience Act (subtitle A of title XII of Public Law 117-263),
the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement
Initiative (TAIPEI) Act (Public Law 116-135), and the Taiwan
Travel Act (Public Law 115-135).
SEC. 8. REPORT AND STRATEGY TO SUPPORT TAIWAN'S RESPONSE TO SHARP POWER
OPERATIONS.
(a) Finding.--Taiwan is at the forefront in responding to sharp
power operations supported by the Government of the People's Republic
of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
(b) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall--
(1) submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report on existing United States efforts supporting the Taiwan
government's efforts in countering the Government of the
People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party's
sharp power operations; and
(2) submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
strategy developed in coordination with the heads of relevant
Federal agencies and international partners to identify, and
provide targeted assistance to address, remaining
vulnerabilities in the Taiwan government's efforts to counter
the Government of the People's Republic of China and the
Chinese Communist Party's sharp power operations.
(c) Report Elements.--The report required under subsection (b)(1)
shall describe the response of the United States to People's Republic
of China propaganda and malign foreign influence campaigns and cyber-
intrusions targeting Taiwan, including the following elements:
(1) A description of assistance in building the capacity of
the Taiwan officials, media entities, and private-sector
entities to document and expose propaganda and malign foreign
influence supported by the Government of the People's Republic
of China, the Chinese Communist Party, or affiliated entities.
(2) A description of assistance to the Taiwan government's
efforts to develop a whole-of-government strategy to respond to
sharp power operations, including election interference.
(3) A description of exchanges and other technical
assistance the United States has collaborated with Taiwan on to
strengthen Taiwan's legal system's ability to respond to sharp
power operations.
(4) An assessment of the extent to which the Government of
the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party
have attempted to influence local political parties, financial
institutions, media organizations, and other entities, and the
degree to which these efforts could be considered successful.
(5) An assessment of the extent to which like-minded
governments have collaborated with the Taiwan government on
ways to address sharp power operations supported by the
Government of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese
Communist Party.
SEC. 9. REPORT ON DETERRENCE IN THE TAIWAN STRAIT.
(a) Initial Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of
Defense shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
joint report that assesses the military posture of Taiwan and the
United States as it specifically pertains to the deterrence of military
conflict and conflict readiness in the Taiwan Strait. In light of the
changing military balance in the Taiwan Strait, the report should
include analysis of whether current Taiwan and United States policies
sufficiently deter efforts to determine the future of Taiwan by other
than peaceful means.
(b) Subsequent Reporting.--Beginning not later than one year after
submission of the report required under subsection (a), the Secretary
of State shall include the elements required in such report as part of
existing congressionally mandated reports, including reports required
under the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act (subtitle A of title XII of
Public Law 117-263), the Taiwan Allies International Protection and
Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act (Public Law 116-135), and the
Taiwan Travel Act (Public Law 115-135).
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(2) Sharp power.--The term ``sharp power'' means the
coordinated and often concealed application of disinformation,
media manipulation, economic coercion, cyber-intrusions,
targeted investments, and academic censorship that is
intended--
(A) to corrupt political and nongovernmental
institutions and interfere in democratic elections and
encourage self-censorship of views at odds with those
of the Government of the People's Republic of China or
the Chinese Communist Party; or
(B) to foster attitudes, behavior, decisions, or
outcomes in Taiwan and elsewhere that support the
interests of the Government of the People's Republic of
China or the Chinese Communist Party.
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