Trump Expected to Sign Pro-Taiwan Bill, Over Beijing’s Objections

Unanimously passed by Congress, bill would encourage visits by high-level officials

Taiwanese sailors salute the nation’s flag on the deck of the Panshih supply ship at the Tsoying naval base in Kaohsiung on Jan. 31, 2018. Mandy Cheng/AFP/Getty Images

Despite the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) insistence that the United States must not recognize nor support Taiwan’s statehood, the U.S. Congress has thrown its support behind the island nation, as both houses unanimously passed a bill that would pave the way for more official exchanges with Taiwan. While Beijing has vehemently criticized the bill’s passage, President Donald Trump is expected soon to sign the bill, which many see as an indication of U.S.–Taiwan relations strengthening in the face of the Chinese regime’s intimidation.

The bill, titled “Taiwan Travel Act,” was introduced by Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) in 2017 and cleared the House in January of this year without opposition. On Feb. 28, it then passed the Senate also by unanimous consent.