Merkley, Curtis Introduce Strengthened Bipartisan Bill to Further Relations Between United States & Taiwan

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Utah’s Senator John Curtis today introduced bipartisan legislation that reaffirms U.S. policy to support Taiwan’s democracy and engagement with the world.

The Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act—which Senator Merkley previously co-led with then-Senator Marco Rubio—comes as Taiwan faces increasing military and diplomatic aggression from China.

“As longstanding partners, the United States and Taiwan share a strong commitment to preserving peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Merkley. “The United States must use all the tools at our disposal to strengthen our relationship with Taiwan, one of East Asia’s most vibrant democracies, and together advance our shared vision of a world that is built on democratic governance, human rights, and the rule of law.”

“Our alliance with Taiwan is one of the most strategically and morally significant partnerships America has in the Indo-Pacific, and we need to ensure our policies match our principles,” said Curtis. “The Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act will deepen our relationship with Taiwan by elevating the status of our top diplomat, incentivizing high-level cooperation and visits between our governments, and combating Chinese Communist Party disinformation campaigns targeting Taiwan.”

Merkley and Curtis’ Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act would:

• Require Senate confirmation for the director of the American Institute in Taiwan;
• Create and streamline an interagency Taiwan policy task force;
• Promote Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations;
• Strengthen engagement between U.S. and Taiwan counterparts focused on economic, trade, and security cooperation;
• Mandate strategies to protect U.S. businesses and non-government entities from Chinese government coercion; and
• Support Taiwan’s response to the Chinese government’s malign efforts aimed at interfering with democratic institutions and processes in Taiwan.

Full text of the Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act can be found by clicking here.

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