TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill aimed at disputing China’s claims of sovereignty over Taiwan.

The bill, passed on Tuesday (July 25), references UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, which removed the Republic of China (Taiwan) from the UN as both the representative government of Taiwan and China. The newly passed U.S. bill states that the resolution does not take a “position on the relationship between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan, or include any statement pertaining to Taiwan’s sovereignty.”

The bill seeks to amend the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act passed in 2019, which established measures to direct U.S. policy toward increasing Taiwan’s international recognition. Specifically, the TAIPEI Act requires U.S. policy to advocate for Taiwan’s participation in “all international organizations in which statehood is not a requirement” and its observer status in others, but it stops short of referencing the UN directly.

The U.S.’s longstanding position is that it does not support Taiwan's independence. America has “acknowledged” Beijing’s assertion that there is only one China, and Taiwan is a part of China.

The U.S. relationship with Taiwan is also governed by the Taiwan Relations Act, which, in addition to legally requiring the U.S. to provide arms to Taiwan, states an expectation that “the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means.” These points are reiterated in the TAIPEI Act and the new amendment.

In order to pass legislation, both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by majority vote. However, National Chengchi University (NCCU) Department of Diplomacy Chair Professor Yeh Chung-lu (盧業中) said it is unlikely the new bill will pass in the Senate.

Lu said that although the U.S. Senate seeks to support Taiwan, it does not want to provoke China to a level that passing this bill would. He said that while the paragraph referencing the UN resolution shows the reality of the situation, passing it into law would be "too provocative."

According to Lu, the Biden administration has been cautious in promoting ties with Taiwan and has generally sought to improve bilateral relations rather than promote Taiwan’s inclusion in international bodies.

The bill also includes a passage that states the U.S. should encourage allies to oppose PRC efforts to undermine Taiwan’s official diplomatic relationships with other countries (of which it currently has 13) and informal partnerships with countries that do not recognize Taiwan. Lu said that this kind of language has been included in other acts and does not represent a major change in the U.S. position.

The amendment bill, like many issues regarding Taiwan in the U.S., received bipartisan support. It was authored by John Curtis and Gerry Connolly, the co-Chairs of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and co-sponsored by 12 other U.S. House representatives.