Washington: Two United States senators have reintroduced the Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act, which they said aims to reaffirm U.S. policy to support Taiwan's democracy and international engagement amid China's increasing diplomatic and military aggression. Republican John Curtis and Democrat Jeff Merkley introduced the bill on Monday for the fourth time, after previous attempts in 2020, 2021, and 2023 stalled, as the bill never got any further than the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

According to Focus Taiwan, the bill seeks to deepen the U.S.-Taiwan relationship by elevating the status of the top diplomat to Taiwan, incentivizing high-level cooperation and visits between the two governments, and combating disinformation campaigns by the Chinese Communist Party targeting Taiwan. Curtis emphasized the strategic and moral significance of the U.S.-Taiwan alliance in the Indo-Pacific region in a joint statement with Merkley.

If the act passes, it would change the status of the head of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties. The position of AIT director would be changed to "representative," and the representative's appointment would have to be approved by the Senate, as is required for all U.S. ambassadors.

The bill would also require the U.S. president to establish an "interagency Taiwan task force," comprising senior government officials who would contribute to annual reports to Congress on actions that should be taken to enhance U.S.-Taiwan relations. Another provision in the bill would require the U.S. secretary of state to report to Congress on strategies to counter "sharp power operations" by the Chinese government against Taiwan, referring to diplomatic and political manipulation aimed at influencing and undermining Taiwan's political system.

More broadly, the bill instructs the U.S. government to support Taiwan's participation in international organizations, advance negotiations on a bilateral trade deal, and invite Taiwan counterparts to high-level multilateral and bilateral summits, military exercises, and economic dialogues. If it advances through the Senate, the bill would also need to be passed in the House of Representatives and signed by the U.S. president to become law.