Updated July 14, 2021
Taiwan: Political and Security Issues
Taiwan, which officially calls itself the Republic of China
political liberalization. The May 2016 inauguration of
(ROC), is an island democracy of 23.6 million people
current President Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic
located across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China.
Progressive Party (DPP) marked Taiwan’s third peaceful
U.S.-Taiwan relations have been unofficial since January 1,
transfer of political power from one party to another. Tsai
1979, when the Carter Administration established
won a second four-year term in January 2020 with 57.1% of
diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China
the vote. The DPP lost seats but maintained its majority in
(PRC) and broke formal diplomatic ties with self-ruled
Taiwan’s parliament, the Legislative Yuan. Tsai has
Taiwan, over which the PRC claims sovereignty. The
demanded “respect from China” for what she calls
Taiwan Relations Act (TRA, P.L. 96-8; 22 U.S.C. §§3301
Taiwan’s “separate identity.” Tsai’s August 2020 decision
et seq.), enacted on April 10, 1979, provides a legal basis
to ease restrictions on imports of U.S. pork containing
for this unofficial bilateral relationship. It also includes
ractopamine, a food additive, has cost her public support. A
commitments related to Taiwan’s security. For discussion
referendum on the issue, originally scheduled for August
of economic issues, see CRS In Focus IF10256, U.S.-
2021, is now slated for December 18, 2021.
Taiwan Trade Relations, by Karen M. Sutter.
In delaying the vote, Taiwan’s government cited its first
Modern History and Current Events
major outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19),
In 1949, after losing a civil war on mainland China to the
which began in May 2021. Taiwan had previously recorded
Communist Party of China, the ROC’s ruling party, the
a cumulative total of 7 deaths from COVID-19. By July 14,
Kuomintang (KMT), moved the ROC seat of government to
2021, it had reported 753 deaths. The Biden Administration
Taiwan. The KMT continued to assert that the ROC was the
donated 2.5 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19
sole legitimate government of all China. In 1971, however,
vaccine to the island in June 2021. Japan has donated 2.37
U.N. General Assembly Resolution 2758 recognized the
million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
PRC’s representatives as “the only legitimate
U.S. Commitments Related to Taiwan
representatives of China to the United Nations,” and
expelled “the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek,” the
The PRC seeks to enforce a “one China principle,” which
ROC’s then-leader. Taiwan has remained outside of the
holds that Taiwan is part of China. The United States
United Nations since. It today claims “effective
adheres to its own “one-China policy,” guided by U.S.-PRC
jurisdiction” over Taiwan, the archipelagos of Penghu,
joint communiqués concluded in 1972, 1978, and 1982; the
Kinmen, and Matsu, and other outlying islands.
TRA; and “Six Assurances” that President Ronald Reagan
communicated to Taiwan in 1982. The U.S. government
Figure 1. Taiwan
considers Taiwan’s political status to be unresolved.
In the communiqués, the United States recognized the PRC
government as the “sole legal government of China”;
acknowledged, but did not endorse, “the Chinese position
that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China”;
and pledged to maintain only unofficial relations with
Taiwan. In the 1982 communiqué, the U.S. government
stated that with a PRC commitment to a “peaceful solution”
“in mind,” the United States “intends gradually to reduce its
sale of arms to Taiwan.” (U.S. arms sales have continued.)
Key provisions of the TRA include the following:
Relations with Taiwan shall be carried out through the
American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private
corporation. (AIT Taipei performs many of the same
functions as U.S. embassies elsewhere and is staffed by
U.S. government personnel assigned or detailed to AIT.)
The United States “will make available to Taiwan such
defense articles and defense services in such quantity as
may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a
Sources: Graphic by CRS. Map generated by Hannah Fischer using
sufficient self-defense capability.”
data from NGA (2017); DoS (2015); Esri (2014); DeLorme (2014).
“The President is directed to inform the Congress
The KMT maintained authoritarian one-party rule on
promptly of any threat to the security or the social or
Taiwan until 1987, when popular pressure forced it to allow
economic system of the people on Taiwan and any
danger to the interests of the United States arising
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Taiwan: Political and Security Issues
therefrom. The President and the Congress shall
buildings. U.S. government displays of Taiwan symbols of
determine, in accordance with constitutional processes,
sovereignty remain off limits.
appropriate action by the United States in response to
any such danger.”
The United States terminated its Mutual Defense Treaty
with Taiwan in 1980, but engages with Taiwan’s military
The 1982 Six Assurances include assurances that in
through dialogues, training, and arms sales. The Trump
negotiating the 1982 communiqué, the United States did not
Administration notified Congress of 20 proposed major
agree to consult with the PRC on arms sales to Taiwan, set
Foreign Military Sales cases for Taiwan, with a combined
a date for ending such arms sales, or “take any position
value of over $18 billion. The U.S. Navy, which conducted
regarding sovereignty over Taiwan.”
11 Taiwan Strait transits in FY2020, has so far conducted
10 in FY2021, including 6 under the Biden Administration.
The TRA does not require the United States to defend
Taiwan, but states that it is U.S. policy to maintain the
The PRC, Taiwan, and “One China”
capacity to do so. In October 2020, Trump Administration
The PRC maintains that mainland China and Taiwan are
National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien referred to, “a
parts of “one China” whose sovereignty cannot be divided.
lot of ambiguity there about what the United States would
The PRC’s 2005 Anti-Secession Law commits Beijing to
do in response to an attack by China on Taiwan.”
“do its utmost with maximum sincerity to achieve a
Biden Administration Policy
peaceful unification” with Taiwan. It states, however, that
in the case of Taiwan’s “secession” from China, or if the
Three days after President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. took office,
PRC concludes that possibilities for peaceful unification
his State Department urged the PRC “to cease its military,
have been exhausted, “the state shall employ non-peaceful
diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and
means and other necessary measures to protect China’s
instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity.” In 2019, PRC leader
democratically elected representatives.” The Department
announced that the Administration would be “deepening
Xi called for exploring “a two systems plan for Taiwan,”
our ties with democratic Taiwan,”
referring to an arrangement under which mainland China
indicated that the United
States would “
and Taiwan would be parts of one country, but maintain
continue to support a peaceful resolution of
different political and other systems, as in Hong Kong.
cross-strait issues, consistent with the wishes and best
After China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong
interests of the people on Taiwan,” and characterized the
in 2020, President Tsai declared the approach “not viable.”
U.S. commitment to Taiwan as “rock solid.” In his first
phone call with PRC leader Xi Jinping on February 10,
On July 1, 2021, Xi reaffirmed the Communist Party’s
2021, Biden raised concerns about China’s “increasingly
“unshakable commitment” to “[r]esolving the Taiwan
assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan.”
question and realizing China’s complete reunification.” In
March 2021, then-Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific
Senior Biden Administration officials have used blunt
Command Admiral Philip S. Davidson testified that the
language to warn China against any use of force against
PRC threat to Taiwan could be “manifest” “in the next six
Taiwan. In May 2021, for example, Secretary of State
years.” In his own June 2021 testimony, Chairman of the
Antony J. Blinken stated, “it would be a very serious
Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley stated that
mistake for anyone to try to disrupt by force the existing
while the PRC’s Xi has challenged China’s military to
status quo.” The Administration has successfully negotiated
develop the capability to take Taiwan by 2027, Milley does
for language on the importance of “peace and stability
across the Taiwan Strait”
not see “the intent to attack or seize in the near term.”
to be included in joint leaders’
statements with allies Japan (April 2021) and South Korea
The PRC conducts regular military patrols and exercises
(May 2021), and in a G7 summit communiqué (June 2021)
around Taiwan, including sending military aircraft across
and a U.S.-European Union Summit Statement (June 2021).
the median line of the Taiwan Strait. PRC-linked actors
have targeted Taiwan with cyberattacks, and the PRC
Like the Trump Administration, the Biden Administration
government has sought to isolate Taiwan internationally,
has committed diplomatic resources to helping Taiwan
including by blocking Taiwan’s attendance as an observer
retain its remaining diplomatic relationships. Since 2016,
at annual World Health Assembly (WHA) meetings, which
eight countries have switched diplomatic recognition to the
Taiwan attended from 2009 to 2016.
PRC, leaving Taiwan with 15 diplomatic partners. (The
PRC does not allow countries to recognize both the PRC
Select Legislation in the 117th Congress
and Taiwan.) The Biden Administration has also continued
Pending bills with broad Taiwan provisions include H.R.
to involve like-minded partners in co-hosting workshops
3524, H.R. 3972, S. 687, S. 1054, S. 1169, and Senate-
under the U.S.-Taiwan-Japan Global Cooperation and
Training Framework, “
passed S. 1260. Other pending bills include those seeking to
a platform for Taiwan to share its
address Taiwan’s security (H.R. 1173, H.R. 2103, H.R.
expertise with partners around the world.”
3934, and S. 332) and its participation in the WHA (H.R.
Before leaving office, Trump Administration Secretary of
497, H.R. 1145, H.R. 1168, H.R. 1169, S. 296, S. 812, and
State Michael R. Pompeo rescinded previous guidance on
S. 2073) and other international organizations (H.R. 2646).
executive branch contacts with Taiwan, calling the old rules
H.R. 3084 and S. 811 would establish a Taiwan fellowship
“self-imposed restrictions of our permanent bureaucracy.”
program for U.S. government employees.
The State Department issued new guidelines in April 2021,
pursuant to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-
Susan V. Lawrence, Specialist in Asian Affairs
260). The new guidelines for the first time encourage
IF10275
working-level meetings with Taiwan counterparts in federal
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Taiwan: Political and Security Issues
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10275 · VERSION 53 · UPDATED