# What This Bill Actually Says About Taiwan

This is a congressional resolution expressing what lawmakers think the United States should do regarding Taiwan. It's important to understand that this isn't a law that changes anything immediately—it's more like Congress saying "we think the President should do this." The resolution calls for the U.S. to treat Taiwan as an independent country, establish formal diplomatic relations with it (like we do with other nations), and work on a trade deal between the two countries.

Right now, the U.S. has an unusual relationship with Taiwan. We don't have an official embassy there or formal diplomatic ties, even though we do significant business with Taiwan and have military relationships. This resolution wants to change that by having the President recognize Taiwan as independent, send an ambassador there, and allow Taiwanese officials to visit and communicate more openly with American officials. The bill also wants the U.S. to push for Taiwan to join international organizations like the United Nations, which it currently can't do because China claims Taiwan as its own territory and blocks its membership.

The practical side involves trade and economics. The resolution asks the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate a free trade agreement with Taiwan, similar to trade deals we have with other countries. This could mean more business opportunities and potentially lower tariffs on goods between the two countries. The bill also criticizes what it calls the "One China Policy," arguing that this decades-old approach doesn't reflect reality since Taiwan has been self-governing and democratic for over 70 years.

It's worth noting that this resolution doesn't automatically make any of these things happen—it's Congress expressing its opinion to the President. However, it does signal that a bipartisan group of lawmakers wants a significant shift in how America treats Taiwan, moving from the current unofficial relationship to formal diplomatic recognition.

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should resume normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with Taiwan, and support Taiwan's membership in international organizations.

Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7]

 <p>This concurrent resolution calls on the President to abandon the One China policy in favor of one that recognizes Taiwan as an independent country that is not a part of China. The resolution also urges the President to bolster diplomatic and economic relations between the United States and Taiwan through specified means. </p> <div> <div></div></div>