By Jaushieh Joseph Wu
On the 35th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act, how should U.S.-Taiwan relations move forward?
From the despair of being abandoned by the United States’ recognition of China and de-recognition of Taiwan, we in Taiwan moved to quiet confidence in U.S. support with the U.S. Congress’ passage, thirty five years ago, of the Taiwan Relations Act, and President Carter’s subsequently signing the bill into law.
The TRA set out to preserve and promote extensive, close and friendly relations between the U.S. and Taiwan. The law makes clear that the future of Taiwan is to be determined by peaceful means, considers any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific and of grave concern to the U.S., provides for the sale of defensive arms to Taiwan, and mandates that the U.S. maintain the capacity to resist any resort to force or coercion that would jeopardize the security or social or economic system of the people of Taiwan.
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