Updated December 12, 2019
Taiwan: Select Political and Security Issues
Taiwan, which officially calls itself the Republic of China
jurisdiction” only over Taiwan, the archipelagos of Penghu,
(ROC), is an island democracy of 23.6 million people
Kinmen, and Matsu, and some smaller islands. It also
located across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China.
claims disputed islands in the East and South China Seas.
Since January 1, 1979, U.S.-Taiwan relations have been
On Taiwan, the KMT maintained authoritarian one-party
unofficial, a consequence of the Carter Administration’s
rule until 1987, when it began allowing political
decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s
liberalization. Taiwan held its first direct parliamentary
Republic of China (PRC) and break formal diplomatic ties
election in 1992 and its first direct presidential election in
with self-ruled Taiwan, over which the PRC claims
1996. The May 2016 inauguration of current President Tsai
sovereignty. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA, P.L. 96-8; 22
Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) marked
U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), enacted on April 10, 1979, provides a
Taiwan’s third peaceful transfer of political power from one
legal basis for this unofficial bilateral relationship. It also
party to another. In 2016, the DPP also ended the KMT’s
includes commitments related to Taiwan’s security.
previously unbroken control of the Legislative Yuan,
Taiwan’s Modern History
Taiwan’s 113-member legislature.
China’s Qing Dynasty ceded Taiwan to Japan at the end of
The DPP suffered deep losses in November 2018 local
the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895. The Republic of
elections. It now controls 6 of Taiwan’s 22 municipalities.
China, which was founded in 1912 on mainland China and
Taiwan is to hold presidential and legislative elections on
led by the Kuomintang Party (KMT), assumed control of
January 11, 2020. President Tsai is running for reelection.
Taiwan in 1945, after Japan’s defeat in World War II. In
Her chief rival, KMT candidate and Kaohsiung Mayor Han
1949, after losing a civil war to the Communist Party of
Kuo-yu, has blamed Tsai’s policies for increased tensions
China, the KMT moved the seat of the ROC to Taipei, and
with Beijing and pledged to re-start cross-Strait dialogue.
the Communists established the PRC on mainland China.
Trump Administration Policy
Figure 1. Taiwan
As President-elect, Donald J. Trump spoke by telephone
with President Tsai and publicly questioned the long-
standing U.S. “one-China” policy, under which the United
States maintains only unofficial ties with Taiwan, while
upholding the TRA. After taking office, however, the
President recommitted to the U.S. one-China policy in a
February 2017 telephone call with PRC President Xi
Jinping. The Trump Administration’s December 2017
National Security Strategy states that the United States
“will maintain our strong ties with Taiwan in accordance
with our ‘One China’ policy, including our commitments
under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide for Taiwan’s
legitimate defense needs and deter coercion.” The U.S. one-
China policy is distinct from the PRC’s one-China
principle, which asserts that Taiwan is part of China.
Since 2017, the Administration has taken some actions that
have diverged from past practice. In May 2019, for
example, it hosted a meeting between the U.S. and Taiwan
National Security Advisors, reportedly the first such
meeting in the era of unofficial relations. In September
Sources: Graphic by CRS. Map generated by Hannah Fischer using
2019 congressional testimony, however, Assistant Secretary
data from NGA (2017); DoS (2015); Esri (2014); DeLorme (2014).
of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell
signaled a commitment to the traditional framework of
Long after the retreat to Taiwan, the KMT continued to
relations. He referred to Taiwan as a “non-state” entity and
assert that the ROC government was the sole legitimate
referenced 1970s-era U.S.-China communiques on U.S.
government of all China. In 1971, however, United Nations
relations with the PRC and Taiwan, stating, “We, certainly,
General Assembly Resolution 2758 recognized the PRC’s
want to remain inside our own commitments to the PRC.”
representatives as “the only legitimate representatives of
China to the United Nations,” and expelled “the
Administration policy goals include “increasing
international awareness of Taiwan’s c
representatives of Chiang Kai-shek,” the ROC’s president
ontributions to global
at the time. Taiwan has remained outside the United
society,” encouraging other governments to show support
Nations ever since. Taiwan today claims “effective
for Taiwan, and helping Taiwan shore up relations with its
15 remaining diplomatic partners. The United States,
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Taiwan: Select Political and Security Issues
Taiwan, and Japan jointly administer the Global
an assurance that in the negotiations with the PRC, the
Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF), convening
United States did not agree “to engage in prior
workshops to share Taiwan’s expertise with partners around
consultations with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan,” and
the world. In 2019, the United States and Taiwan launched
did not agree to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan.
annual Indo-Pacific Democratic Governance Consultations,
The PRC, Taiwan, and “One China”
intended to produce joint projects to help Indo-Pacific
countries address governance challenges, and a Pacific
The PRC maintains that mainland China and Taiwan are
Islands Dialogue, intended to help “meet the development
parts of “one China” whose sovereignty cannot be divided.
needs of Taiwan’s diplomatic partners in the Pacific.”
A 2005 PRC Anti-Secession Law commits Beijing to “do
its utmost with maximum sincerity to achieve a peaceful
Although the United States terminated its Mutual Defense
unification” with Taiwan. It states, however, that in the case
Treaty with Taiwan in 1980, it engages with Taiwan’s
of Taiwan’s “secession” from China, or in a situation in
military through dialogues, training, and arms sales. The
which the PRC concludes that possibilities for peaceful
Trump Administration has notified Congress five times of
unification have been exhausted, “the state shall employ
proposed major Foreign Military Sales cases for Taiwan (11
non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to
cases with a combined value of about $11.76 billion). The
protect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” On
largest case is for 66 F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft and related
January 2, 2019, PRC President Xi recommitted the PRC to
equipment and support, worth about $8 billion. The U.S.
peaceful unification, but reserved the option to use force.
Navy conducted 10 transits of the Taiwan Strait in the first
He called for exploring “a Taiwan plan for ‘one country,
11 months of 2019. French and Canadian warships also
two systems,’” a reference to an arrangement under which
transited the Strait in 2019.
mainland China and Taiwan would be parts of one country,
U.S. Commitments Related to Taiwan
but maintain different political and other systems. Hong
Kong is currently subject to such an arrangement.
Four documents underpin U.S. policy on Taiwan: the TRA
and joint communiqués concluded with the PRC in 1972,
Unlike her KMT predecessor, President Tsai has not
1978, and 1982. In the communiqués, the United States said
endorsed the “1992 consensus,” under which Taiwan and
it would recognize the PRC as the “sole legal government
the PRC acknowledged “one China,” but retained their own
of China”; acknowledge, if not affirm, “the Chinese
interpretations of what it meant. In March 2019, she lodged
position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of
objections to Xi’s “one country-two systems” plan, saying
China”; and maintain only unofficial relations with Taiwan.
it “unilaterally undermines the status quo, eliminates the
The United States does not take a position on Taiwan’s
sovereignty of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and forces
future status, but insists that it be resolved peacefully
Taiwan to accept unification with China.”
without resort to threats or use of force.
The PRC suspended contacts with Taiwan in June 2016
Key provisions of the TRA include the following:
over Tsai’s unwillingness to endorse the “1992 consensus.”
Since Tsai’s 2016 election, the PRC has established
Relations with Taiwan shall be carried out through the
diplomatic relations with eight countries that previously
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private
recognized Taiwan: the Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe,
corporation. (AIT Taipei performs many of the same
Panama, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, El
functions as U.S. embassies elsewhere and is staffed by
Salvador, the Solomon Islands, and Kiribati. The PRC has
U.S. government personnel assigned or detailed to AIT.)
stepped up military aircraft patrols around Taiwan and on
It is U.S. policy “to consider any effort to determine the
March 31, 2019, allowed two of its J-11 fighter jets to cross
future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means,
over the median line in the Taiwan Strait for the first time
including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the
in 20 years. The PRC has also blocked Taiwan’s attendance
peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of
as an observer at annual World Health Assembly meetings,
grave concern to the United States.”
which Taiwan attended from 2009 to 2016. The PRC has
offered carrots, too: 2018’s “31 measures” and November
It is U.S. policy “to maintain the capacity of the United
2019’s “26 measures,” intended to improve living and
States to resist any resort to force or other forms of
working conditions and business opportunities for Taiwan
coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social
people in mainland China.
or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
Select Legislation in the 116th Congress
The United States “will make available to Taiwan such
defense articles and defense services in such quantity as
The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2020 (S.
may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a
1790) would require a review and report related to the
sufficient self-defense capability.”
TRA, a report on PRC efforts to influence Taiwan’s 2020
election, and a report on the feasibility of a high-level U.S.-
The TRA does not require the United States to defend
Taiwan working group on cybersecurity. The TAIPEI Act
Taiwan, but states that it is U.S. policy to maintain the
of 2019 (H.R. 4754 and Senate-passed S. 1678) would
capacity to do so, creating “strategic ambiguity” regarding
encourage the U.S. government to support Taiwan in
the U.S. role in the event of a PRC attack on Taiwan.
strengthening its official and unofficial relationships, and to
The Six Assurances
consider increasing or reducing U.S. engagement with
President Ronald Reagan communicated what became
nations that enhance relations with or undermine Taiwan.
known as the “Six Assurances” to Taiwan shortly before
Susan V. Lawrence, Specialist in Asian Affairs
release of the 1982 U.S.-PRC communiqué. They include
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Taiwan: Select Political and Security Issues
IF10275
Disclaimer
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