The US House Foreign Affairs Committee has voted in favor of a bill that would strengthen ties with Taiwan in the face of competition with China. The legislation passed on Thursday in a split vote, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.
The "Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement Act," also known as the Eagle Act, is the latest in a series of US bills seeking to improve relations with Taiwan. The text of the Eagle Act runs to almost 500 pages, and includes three sections directly addressing the United States’ cooperation with Taiwan.
The bill also incorporates several other items of pro-Taiwan legislation, including a bill that would ask the US Secretary of State to negotiate changes to the name of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry has expressed thanks for the support from the US legislature. Spokesperson Joanne Ou says the House of Representatives has put forward a number of pro-Taiwan bills since the beginning of this year. She says lawmakers have taken concrete steps to demonstrate bipartisan support for Taiwan.