TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 7) unanimously backed the “Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019,” which supports Taiwan and urges it to increase its defense spending.

Taiwan’s Minister without Portfolio, John Deng Chen-chung (鄧振中), told Liberty Times on Thursday (May 9) that the passage of Taiwan Assurance Act might help lay the groundwork for a free-trade agreement (FTA) between Taiwan and the U.S.

As the chief negotiator for the Office of Trade Negotiations, Deng explained that the House of Representatives has called on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to resume Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) meetings with Taiwan, with the signing of a bilateral FTA as the goal.

As for the ongoing trade talks between the U.S. and China, Deng said the entire world is closely following their development. Results of the U.S.-China trade negotiations will affect the global economy and it remains to be seen how they will affect Taiwan, added Deng.

It is not clear when Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019 might come up for a vote in the Senate for it to become law.

In response, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang (耿爽) said the bill was “a gross interference” in China’s internal affairs at a regular press conference on Wednesday (May 8).

China urged the U.S. to stop Congress from reviewing and passing the bill and to properly handle Taiwan-related issues to “prevent severe damages to bilateral cooperation in key areas and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

Apart from supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019 also states that Taiwan is an important part of the U.S. strategy in the region, while urging the U.S. to conduct sales of defense articles to enhance Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities.