The Taiwan Relations Act at 45

he Taiwan Relations Act (TRA)-passed by the US Congress in 1979-has provided an enduring legal framework and policy guidance for US-Taiwan relations that has lasted for 45 years. This remarkable legislation mandated special American obligations and commitments to Taiwan that have helped to preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
While the TRA is uniquely designed to protect and promote US interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic relations, it does not operate in a policy vacuum. Throughout its existence, the TRA has been tied to the 1979 normalization agreement between the United States and the People's Republic of China (PRC), which is also commemorating its 45th anniversary. This accord-alongside the TRA, the Six Assurances, and the Three Communiqués-as well as subsequent legislation and review have formed the foundation of a relatively stable trilateral relationship between the United States, Taiwan, and the PRC.
However, with China unceasingly and aggressively seeking to intimidate and coerce Taiwan through both military and non-military means, its unilateral abolition of the international treaty on Hong Kong, simply maintaining the "status quo" may be increasingly unrealistic in the long term. Indeed, the massive military buildup across the Taiwan Strait by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Chinese leadership’s continued refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan, and the Chinese Communist Party’s gray zone pressure are destabilizing the Strait and threatening the peace and security of the Indo-Pacific area and beyond.
As Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated: "China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it. Beijing’s vision would move us away from the universal values that have sustained so much of the world’s progress over the past 75 years." Just as strategic changes necessitated adjustments in US policy during the Cold War, fundamental changes in the circumstances of the 21st century warrant, at the very least, an evaluation of whether the TRA is properly calibrated, and to the extent that the existing legal and policy framework can endure.
Accordingly, GTI will be convening a high-level panel to discuss the longevity and elasticity of the Taiwan Relations Act in an increasingly volatile strategic environment. The event will begin with keynote remarks from Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI), followed by a panel discussion featuring David Stilwell (US Air Force Academy), Josh Cartin (Atlantic Council), and Ryan Hass (Brookings Institution). The event will be moderated by GTI Executive Director Russell Hsiao.