President Trump signed a bill into law protecting Taiwan and U.S. relations, sparking criticism from China.
The law, called the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, “permanently extends existing requirements for the Department of State to review and report on its guidance to Executive Branch agencies and offices on relations with Taiwan,” the White House said in a statement.
According to the legislation, the Department of State is to review its “guidance that governs relations with Taiwan, including the periodic memorandum entitled, ‘Guidelines on Relations with Taiwan’ and related documents, and reissue such guidance to executive branch departments and agencies” every five years.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te thanked President Trump for signing the bill, declaring that it supports the United State’s relationship with Taiwan. “Going forward, we’ll work even more closely with the US in all sectors to ensure regional peace, stability & prosperity,” he wrote on X.
A statement from Taiwan Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo declared that the law “carries great significance in that it affirms the value of US interaction with Taiwan, supports closer Taiwan-US relations, and stands as a firm symbol of our shared values of democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights.” The spokesperson added that a strong Taiwan-U.S. relationship is essential for “maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), who led the legislation, said the nation “stands with Taiwan, and we will not allow China to destabilize the world even more than they already have.”
Chinese media reported that the Chinese Communist Party “firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the United States and China’s Taiwan region, and this position is consistent and clear.”
