Updated February 21, 2024
Taiwan Presidents’ U.S. Transit Visits
Introduction

by the United States as the Republic of China prior to
Since 1994, four sitting presidents of Taiwan have
January 1, 1979.” The TRA goes on to state that it is U.S.
undertaken a combined 29 trips abroad that have included
policy “to preserve and promote extensive, close, and
transit stops in the United States. U.S. policy since 1995 has
friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations” with “the
been to bar Taiwan presidents from making non-transit
people on Taiwan.” The U.S. government presents the TRA
visits to the United States. The U.S. government presents
and the U.S.-PRC communiqués, plus “Six Assurances”
this policy as consistent with the unofficial nature of U.S.-
conveyed to Taiwan in 1982, as guiding the U.S. one-China
Taiwan relations. (See CRS In Focus IF10275, Taiwan:
policy. (See CRS In Focus IF12503, Taiwan: The Origins
Background and U.S. Relations.)
of the U.S. One-China Policy, and CRS In Focus IF11665,
President Reagan’s Six Assurances to Taiwan.)
Stakeholders in the U.S. government, Taiwan, and the
People’s Republic of China (PRC) see Taiwan presidents’
1994 Taiwan Policy Review
U.S. transit visits differently.
For the first 15 years after terminating diplomatic relations

with Taiwan, the U.S. executive branch interpreted
The U.S. executive branch presents such transits as
unofficial relations with Taiwan as precluding visits of any
private, unofficial, and consistent with the U.S. one-
sort by Taiwan presidents. In May 1994, the Clinton
China policy.
Administration for the first time permitted a Taiwan

president to transit through the United States, allowing
Some Members of Congress have criticized U.S.
Taiwan’s then-President Lee Teng-hui to stop to refuel his
protocol for such transits as excessively restrictive. In
plane in Hawaii on his way to Central America, but not to
the 118th Congress, S. 477 and H.Con.Res. 71 would
spend the night. Apparently piqued by U.S. restrictions, Lee
support U.S. visits for Taiwan presidents.
declined to leave his plane. Some Members of Congress

saw the Administration’s treatment of Lee as insufficiently
Taiwan governments have sought opportunities for
respectful. At a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations
presidential transit visits, portraying U.S. permission for
Committee immediately after the transit, then-Senator
such stops as affirmation of U.S. support.
Frank H. Murkowski observed that the U.S. government

allowed figures such as Palestinian Liberation Organization
The PRC government, which claims sovereignty over
Chairman Yasser Arafat and Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader,
Taiwan, has long criticized Taiwan presidents’ U.S.
the 14th Dalai Lama, to visit the United States. The
transit visits as inconsistent with U.S. commitments to
American public might not understand, Murkowski
maintain only unofficial relations with Taiwan, and
suggested, “why our friends such as the Taiwanese are kept
charged that such transits undermine PRC “sovereignty
and territorial integrity.”
so far out and others without formal diplomatic relations

with the United States can come to Washington.”
Evolution of U.S. Policy on Transits
In September 1994, the Clinton Administration completed a
review of U.S. Taiwan policy. Subsequently-declassified
Unofficial Relations
briefing papers for Under Secretary of State Peter Tarnoff’s
U.S.-Taiwan relations have been unofficial since January 1,
travel to the PRC that month state that the Administration
1979, when the United States established diplomatic
would now “[p]ermit normal transits of the U.S., but no
relations with the PRC and terminated diplomatic relations
visits or public activities, for Taiwan’s top leadership,”
with self-ruled Taiwan, which calls itself the Republic of
while continuing to “[f]orbid visits, as opposed to transits,
China (ROC). In three joint communiqués concluded with
by Taiwan’s top leadership.” On September 27, 1994,
the PRC in 1972, 1978, and 1982, the United States
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific
“acknowledged,” but did not endorse, the “Chinese”
Affairs Winston Lord presented the outcome of the Taiwan
position that “there is but one China and Taiwan is part of
Policy Review to Congress. He stated that President Bill
China.” In the 1978 and 1982 communiqués, the United
Clinton “has decided to enhance our unofficial ties with
States also stated that it would “maintain cultural,
Taiwan.” Under questioning from Senators, one of whom
commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people
expressed “dismay” over the conditions of President Lee’s
of Taiwan” (emphasis by CRS).
transit, Lord said “under our new policy, we will permit
overnight visits. We will permit anything consistent with
The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA; P.L. 96-8; 22 U.S.C.
security and comfort and convenience so long as it’s a
§3301 et seq.) provides the legal basis for unofficial U.S.
transit visit.” Lord added that “the Administration strongly
relations with Taiwan. It refers to “[t]he President having
opposes congressional attempts to legislate visits by top
terminated governmental relations between the United
leaders of the ‘Republic of China’ to the U.S.” The next
States and the governing authorities on Taiwan recognized
month, Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality
https://crsreports.congress.gov

link to page 2 Taiwan Presidents’ U.S. Transit Visits
Technical Corrections Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-416). Section
2023 House Speaker Meeting
221 of the act states that whenever Taiwan presidents or
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has made seven overseas
high-level Taiwan officials apply for visas to visit the
trips with transit stops in the United States since 2016. (See
United States for discussions with federal or state officials,
Table 1.) On a March-April 2023 trip, Tsai met in New
they “shall be admitted.”
York with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and
other Members, and then in California with then-House
Taiwan President’s 1995 Private U.S. Visit
Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other Members. McCarthy
In 1995, President Lee sought to make a private visit to his
was the highest-ranking U.S. official to meet with a Taiwan
alma mater, Cornell University. The Clinton Administration
president on U.S. soil in the era of unofficial relations. The
initially denied the request and assured the PRC that no
PRC condemned the McCarthy-Tsai meeting, with the
such visit would take place. President Clinton pivoted to
Taiwan Work Office of the PRC’s ruling Communist Party
approving the visit after Congress passed H.Con.Res. 53
accusing Tsai’s political party of “clinging to U.S. support
(104th Congress) “Expressing the sense of the Congress
to seek independence.” The PRC response included three
regarding a private visit by President Lee Teng-hui of the
days of large-scale joint military exercises around Taiwan.
Republic of China on Taiwan to the United States.” (The
On April 10, 2023, a White House official observed that
vote was 396-0 in the House, and 97-1 in the Senate.) Lee
transit visits by Taiwan presidents are “not uncommon”
visited Cornell in June 1995 and addressed his fellow
and, apparently addressing the PRC leadership, suggested
alumni. In response, the PRC carried out missile launches,
there was “no reason for any overreaction here.”
live-fire exercises, a naval exercise, and an amphibious
landing exercise over several months in 1995. In March
Table 1. Taiwan President Tsai’s U.S. Transit Visits
1996, the PRC undertook more missile launches and a joint
Diplomatic
U.S.
Selected
amphibious landing exercise in an apparent attempt to drive
down support for Lee ahead of Taiwan’s first direct
Dates
Partners
Places
Activities
in U.S.
Visited
Transited
presidential election, which Lee won. The United States
responded by dispatching two aircraft carrier battle groups
3/29-31,
Guatemala,
New York,
Met Speaker Kevin
to the area. The events are now known as the third Taiwan
4/4-6,
Belize
Los
McCarthy in LA
Strait Crisis, following earlier crises in 1954 and 1958.
2023
Angeles
and Minority
Leader Hakeem
Transits Since 1994
Jeffries in NYC
President Lee’s 1995 visit to Cornell remains the sole non-
transit visit to the United States by a Taiwan president in
7/11-13,
Haiti, Saint
New York,
Visited National
the era of unofficial relations. Taiwan presidents routinely
7/19-21,
Kitts and
Denver
Center for
transit through the United States on visits to and from the
2019
Nevis, Saint
Atmospheric
dwindling number of countries that maintain diplomatic
Vincent and
Research. Met
relations with Taiwan. (Seven of Taiwan’s remaining 12
Grenadines,
Colorado
diplomatic partners are in Latin America and the Caribbean.
St. Lucia
Governor.
Three are in the Pacific and one, the Holy See, in Europe.)
3/26-27,
Palau,
Honolulu
Videoconference
The main office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT),
2019
Nauru,
address to D.C.-
the ostensibly private entity through which the United
Marshall
based Heritage
States conducts unofficial relations with Taiwan, issues
Islands
Foundation
visas for Taiwan presidents and their delegations transiting
8/12-13,
Paraguay,
Los
Visited NASA’s
through the United States. AIT’s Washington, DC, area
8/18-19,
Belize
Angeles,
Johnson Space
headquarters processes their requests for port courtesies,
2018
Houston
Center in Houston.
including expedited processing and clearance at U.S. ports
of entry and security arrangements. U.S. government
10/28-
Marshall
Honolulu,
Visited USS Arizona
practice is not to make executive branch officials available
29, 11/
Islands,
Guam
Memorial in
for meetings with transiting Taiwan presidents. Members of
3-4,
Tuvalu, the
Hawaii. Met Guam
Congress and state and local officials often do meet with
2017
Solomon
Governor.
Taiwan presidents on U.S. transit stops. Transiting Taiwan
Islands
presidents also commonly attend banquets with Taiwan
1/7-8,
Honduras,
Houston,
Visited MD
expatriates. The AIT chairperson accompanies the Taiwan
1/13-14,
Nicaragua,
San
Anderson Cancer
president in the United States. Transits now routinely
2017
Guatemala,
Francisco
Center; met Texas
involve overnight stays, public events, and media coverage.
El Salvador
Governor.
The Taiwan Travel Act (2018)
6/24-25,
Panama,
Miami, Los
Spoke by phone
In 2018, Congress passed the Taiwan Travel Act (P.L. 115-
6/30-7/1, Paraguay
Angeles
with House
135). Section 3(b)(2) of the act states that it should be U.S.
2016
Speaker Paul Ryan.
policy to “allow high-level officials of Taiwan to enter the
Source: Office of the President, Taiwan.
United States, under conditions which demonstrate
appropriate respect for the dignity of such officials, and to
meet with officials of the United States,” including officials
Susan V. Lawrence, Specialist in Asian Affairs
from the Departments of State and Defense.
IF12371
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Taiwan Presidents’ U.S. Transit Visits


Disclaimer
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