New Southbound Policy Portal

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and expresses gratitude for the enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 that US President Donald Trump signed into law on December 27. The bill included language of the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 and US$3 million in funds for the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF). This serves as testament to the robust US support for Taiwan-US relations.

The Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 is a broad piece of legislation that covers support for regularized US arms sales to Taiwan, enhancing Taiwan’s self-defense capability, and Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. It requires the US Secretary of State to review the Department of State’s guidance on relations with Taiwan and submit a report to Congress on the results of this review as well as the progress in implementing the Taiwan Travel Act. In addition, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 makes the unprecedented move of allocating US$3 million for GCTF activities to help Taiwan, the US, and Japan further expand the scope of professional cooperation and exchanges with like-minded countries.

MOFA once again thanks the US administration and friends in Congress from both parties for taking concrete action in support of Taiwan-US relations. Based on the existing solid foundation and by adhering to the principles of mutual trust, reciprocity, and mutual benefit, the government of Taiwan will continue to work with the United States to steadily deepen the comprehensive Taiwan-US global partnership. (E)