119-s1588

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1588 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

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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