Updated October 15, 2018
Taiwan: Select Political and Security Issues
Taiwan, which officially calls itself the Republic of China
Taiwan’s Modern History
(ROC), is an island democracy of 23 million people located
China’s Qing Dynasty ceded Taiwan to Japan at the end of
across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China. Since
the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895. Taiwan was a
January 1, 1979, U.S.-Taiwan relations have been
Japanese colony for the next 50 years. The Republic of
unofficial, a consequence of the Carter Administration’s
China, which was founded in 1912 on mainland China and
decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s
led by the Kuomintang Party (KMT), assumed control of
Republic of China (PRC) and break formal diplomatic ties
Taiwan in 1945, after Japan’s defeat in World War II. In
with self-ruled Taiwan, over which the PRC claims
1949, after losing a civil war on mainland China to the
sovereignty. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA, P.L. 96-8; 22
Communist Party of China, the KMT moved the seat of the
U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), enacted on April 10, 1979, provides a
ROC across Taiwan Strait to Taipei, while the Communists
legal basis for this unofficial bilateral relationship. It also
established the PRC on mainland China. As many as two
includes commitments related to Taiwan’s security.
million Chinese fled with the KMT to Taiwan.
Trump Administration Policy
On Taiwan, the KMT maintained authoritarian one-party
After initially questioning the longstanding U.S. “one-
rule until 1987, when it began allowing political
China” policy, President Donald J. Trump used a February
liberalization. Current President Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic
9, 2017, telephone call with PRC President Xi Jinping to
Progressive Party (DPP), founded in 1986, claims credit for
recommit the United States to the policy, under which the
a major role “in toppling the KMT’s one-party
United States maintains only unofficial relations with
dictatorship.” Taiwan held its first direct parliamentary
Taiwan, while also upholding the TRA. The Trump
election in 1992 and its first direct presidential election in
Administration’s National Security Strategy, released in
1996. The May 2016 inauguration of President Tsai marked
December 2017, states that the United States “will maintain
Taiwan’s third transfer of political power from one party to
our strong ties with Taiwan in accordance with our ‘One
another through a peaceful electoral process. In 2016, the
China’ policy, including our commitments under the
DPP also ended the KMT’s previously unbroken control of
Taiwan Relations Act to provide for Taiwan’s legitimate
Taiwan’s legislature. Taiwan is scheduled to hold local
defense needs and deter coercion.”
elections on November 24, 2018.
In 2018, the Administration has taken steps widely seen as
Long after the retreat to Taiwan, the KMT continued to
supportive to Taiwan. In March 2018, the President signed
assert that the ROC government was the sole legitimate
into law the Taiwan Travel Act (P.L. 115-135), which states
government of all China. In 1971, however, United Nations
that it should be U.S. policy to allow U.S. officials at all
General Assembly Resolution 2758 recognized the PRC’s
levels to visit Taiwan. In May 2018, the White House Press
representatives as “the only legitimate representatives of
Secretary released a statement dismissing as “Orwellian
China to the United Nations,” and expelled “the
nonsense” and “political correctness” the PRC’s demand
representatives of Chiang Kai-shek,” the ROC’s president
that foreign airlines refer to Taiwan as part of China on
at the time. Taiwan has remained outside the United
their websites. In June 2018, Assistant Secretary of State
Nations ever since. Taiwan today claims “effective
for Education and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce led a U.S.
jurisdiction” only over Taiwan, the archipelagos of Penghu,
delegation to Taiwan for the dedication of a new complex
Kinmen, and Matsu, and a number of smaller islands. ROC
for the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the entity
sovereignty claims also include disputed islands in the East
through which the United States conducts its unofficial
China Sea and South China Sea.
relationship with Taiwan. Then-AIT Director Kin Moy
U.S. Commitments Related to Taiwan
presented the $255-million compound as “a tangible
symbol that the United States is here to stay.”
Four documents underpin U.S. policy on Taiwan: three
joint communiqués concluded with the PRC in 1972, 1978,
In August 2018, the White House criticized both the PRC
and El Salvador for the latter’s
and 1982, plus the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. The key
decision to break diplomatic
commitments the U.S. government made to the PRC in the
relations with Taiwan and establish relations with the PRC.
three joint communiqués were that the United States would
On October 4, 2018, in a major speech on China policy,
recognize the PRC as the “sole legal government of China”;
Vice President Mike Pence said the recent decisions by the
acknowledge, if not endorse, “the Chinese position that
Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Panama to switch
there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China”; and
recognition to Beijing “threaten the stability of the Taiwan
Strait.” Pence also stated that while the Trump
maintain only unofficial relations with Taiwan. The United
States considers Taiwan’s ultimate status
Administration “will continue t
to be unresolved.
o respect our One China
Policy,…America will always believe Taiwan’s embrace of
Passed by Congress in April 1979, after the termination of
democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people.”
official relations with Taiwan, the Taiwan Relations Act
provides the legal basis for unofficial relations. Key
provisions include:
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Taiwan: Select Political and Security Issues
Relations with Taiwan shall be carried out through AIT,
Diplomatic: Six countries that previously recognized
a non-profit corporation. (AIT Taipei performs many of
Taiwan have established diplomatic relations with the
the same functions as U.S. embassies around the world
PRC: the Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Panama, the
and is staffed by U.S. government personnel assigned or
Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, and El Salvador.
otherwise detailed to AIT.)
Taiwan retains diplomatic ties with 17 countries.
It is U.S. policy “to consider any effort to determine the
International space: The PRC blocked Taiwan’s
future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means,
attendance as an observer at the 2017 and 2018 annual
including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the
meetings of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the
peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of
governing body of the World Health Organization.
grave concern to the United States.”
Military: The PRC has repeatedly dispatched military
It is U.S. policy “to maintain the capacity of the United
aircraft to circumnavigate Taiwan and sent naval task
States to resist any resort to force or other forms of
forces into waters east of Taiwan.
coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social
or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
Civil aviation: In January 2018, the PRC unilaterally
announced new commercial aviation routes over the
The United States “will make available to Taiwan such
Taiwan Strait, violating a 2015 agreement with Taiwan.
defense articles and defense services in such quantity as
Judicial: In November 2017, PRC authorities sentenced
may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a
a Taiwan activist, Lee Ming-che, to five years in prison
sufficient self-defense capability.”
for “subversion of state power,” the first time anyone
The TRA does not require the United States to defend
from Taiwan is known to have faced such charges.
Taiwan, but does state that is U.S. policy to maintain the
Commercial: In 2018, the PRC stepped up demands that
capacity to do so, creating “strategic ambiguity” regarding
foreign airlines refer to Taiwan as part of China on their
the U.S. role in the event of a PRC attack on Taiwan.
websites. Most airlines have complied.
The Six Assurances
Taiwan’s Security
The Trump Administration has stated that the U.S.-Taiwan
relationship is also “guided” by “Six Assurances” that
The United States terminated its Mutual Defense Treaty
President Ronald Reagan communicated to Taiwan before
with Taiwan in 1980, but still supports Taiwan’s military
the announcement of the 1982 U.S.-PRC communiqué.
through dialogues, training, and arms sales made on the
They include an assurance that in the negotiations, the
basis of the TRA. In June 2017, President Trump notified
United States did not agree “to engage in prior
Congress of seven major Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to
consultations with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan,” and
Taiwan valued at $1.36 billion. In April 2018, the State
did not agree to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan.
Department issued licenses to allow U.S. firms to market
The PRC, Taiwan, and “One China”
technology to Taiwan for its indigenous submarine
program. On September 24, 2018, the Trump
The PRC maintains that mainland China and Taiwan are
Administration notified Congress of an FMS case valued at
parts of “one China” whose sovereignty cannot be divided.
$330 million. In June 2018, Secretary of Defense Jim
A 2005 PRC Anti-Secession Law commits Beijing to “do
Mattis said that the United States “remains steadfastly
its utmost with maximum sincerity to achieve a peaceful
committed” to Taiwan arms sales. He also said, “We
unification” with Taiwan, but states that in the case of
oppose all unilateral efforts to alter the status quo, and will
Taiwan’s “secession” from China, or in a situation in which
continue to insist any resolution of differences accord with
the PRC concludes that possibilities for peaceful unification
the will of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”
have been exhausted, “the state shall employ non-peaceful
means and other necessary measures to protect China’s
Select Legislation in the 115th Congress
sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act
President Tsai’s predecessor, Ma Ying
(NDAA) for FY2019 (P.L. 115-232 ) requires the Secretary
-jeou of the KMT,
of Defense to assess Taiwan’s military forces and report to
pledged support for a political formula known as “the 1992
Congress with a plan to facilitate related recommendations,
consensus,” under which both sides of the Taiwan Strait
acknowledged “one China,” but retained their own
expand U.S.-Taiwan senior military-to-military engagement
and joint training, and support U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
interpretations of what it meant. Under that formula, Taipei
The NDAA for FY2018 (P.L. 115-91) requires reports and
and Beijing held 11 rounds of quasi-official talks and
briefings for Congress on the status of Taiwan’s arms sales
signed 23 economic and functional agreements. The PRC
requests. The Taiwan Travel Act (P.L. 115-135) states that
has called on President Tsai to affirm “the 1992 consensus,”
it should be U.S. policy to allow U.S. officials at all levels
or use her own words to affirm that, “both the Mainland and
to visit Taiwan and to allow high-level Taiwan officials to
Taiwan belong to one and the same China and that cross-
visit the United States and meet with U.S. officials.
Strait relations are not state-to-state relations.” Tsai has
neither refuted nor endorsed the notion.
Susan V. Lawrence, Specialist in Asian Affairs
In June 2016, the PRC announced that it had suspended
“communication mechanisms” with Tai
IF10275
wan because of
President Tsai’s unwillingness to endorse “the 1992
consensus.” Since President Tsai’s January 2016 election,
Beijing has stepped up pressure on Taiwan in many areas:
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Taiwan: Select Political and Security Issues
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10275 · VERSION 32 · UPDATED