Kaine, Colleagues Announce Bipartisan Bill to Support Taiwan’s Diplomatic Partners in Latin America and Caribbean

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Curtis (R-UT), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced bipartisan legislation to support Taiwan and its diplomatic partners in Latin America and the Caribbean and to deepen U.S. engagement in the Western Hemisphere.

The United States-Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act comes as Taiwan faces increasing military and diplomatic aggression from the People’s Republic of China, which has pressured Taiwan’s remaining partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to sever diplomatic ties with the East Asian democracy.

“As China expands its reach around the world, it’s critical to U.S. national security that we prioritize strengthening alliances between our democratic partners,” said Kaine. “The Western Hemisphere has long been a bastion of support for Taiwan, and I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan bill to support countries in our hemisphere in maintaining and deepening their official diplomatic relations with Taipei.”

The United States-Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act would:

• Affirm U.S. policy to support countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
• Establish a mechanism to monitor and respond to China-backed infrastructure and development projects in Taiwan’s diplomatic partners, which often lack transparency, deliver poor results, and undermine local economies.
• Require regular reporting to Congress on China’s pressure tactics and U.S. efforts to support Taiwan’s partners.
• Encourage deeper U.S.–Taiwan coordination in the region, including through joint development efforts, public diplomacy, and collaboration between U.S. embassies and Taiwan’s representative offices.

Full text of the United States-Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act can be found by clicking here.

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