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Taiwan Relations Act 20 Years of Success
Through two tumultuous decades, marked by dramatic changes in international relationships, the TRA has stood the test of time, affirming the convictions of its drafters and continuing to serve as one of the most significant policy instruments in the Asia-Pacific region. The Presidents of both countries hailed the measure on its 20th anniversary, an occasion celebrated at a conference in Washington sponsored jointly by The Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute. In a spirit of "cooperation and community," declared President Bill Clinton in a message sent to the conference, "the United States and Taiwan continue to enjoy strong bonds of friendship that have promoted our well-being, broadened our people's cultural horizons, and offered promising opportunities for economic growth. The Taiwan Relations Act has been instrumental in strengthening those bridges of friendship and in preserving peace and stability in Asia." President Lee Teng-hui of Taiwan, the Republic of China, stated in a written message: "I still recall how the U.S. announcement on December 15, 1978 that it was establishing relations with the Chinese Communists and severing diplomatic ties with us hurt the people in Taiwan. Fortunately, the U.S. Congress enacted the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure that the many years of friendly cooperative relations between the U.S. and the ROC could continue." "Over the last 20 years," he continued, "the Taiwan Relations Act has greatly contributed to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and to the advancement and elevation of U.S.-ROC relations. The Act has not only provided an institutional framework and legal basis for continued interaction between the U.S. and my country, it has also guaranteed that the United States will provide us with defensive arms so that we can maintain an adequate self-defense capability." He noted that during the crisis in the Taiwan Strait in 1996, the U.S. sent two aircraft carrier groups to patrol the seas off Taiwan. "That action fully demonstrated the willingness and resolve of the United States to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait," President Lee Teng-hui asserted. He listed other ways the two countries "have grown increasingly closer" over the last 20 years:
Sen. Jay John Rockefeller (D-WV), who also spoke at the conference, said the TRA "created the framework for the strong and steady relationship" the people of both countries have enjoyed. The relationship, of "strategic importance," is "thriving and productive." "The fact that the Taiwan Relations Act remains in force today, without amendment, is a testament to the wisdom and foresight of its drafters," wrote Stephen J. Yates, Senior Policy Analyst in the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation. "Who in 1979 could have foreseen the dramatic changes that would transform Taiwan, China, and the world over the next 20 years? Taiwan is now a vibrant democracy. China is gradually adopting market reforms. The Soviet Union is no more. Yet through it all, the Taiwan Relations Act remains constant, relevant, and effective."
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