Curtis, Merkley Introduce Bipartisan BILL to Rename Tecro as Taiwan Representative Office

Legislation reaffirms the United States’ commitment to Taiwan’s democratic governance andinternational engagement
Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced theTaiwan Representative Office Act, bipartisan legislation to rename Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the United States from the “Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO)” to the Taiwan Representative Office (TRO). This legislation underscores the United States’ commitment to Taiwan’s democracy and enhances clarity in the U.S.-Taiwan relationship.
“The United States shouldn’t tolerate pressure from China to undermine the Taiwanese people. Instead, it should stand by its democratic allies and friends around the world facing pressure and coercion from authoritarian regimes,”said Senator Curtis.“By renaming TECRO as the Taiwan Representative Office, our bill acknowledges the reality that this office represents the people of Taiwan, not just the economic interests of the city of Taipei.”
“Taiwan’s democracy is vital to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and the United States must continue pursuing opportunities that strengthen our partnership with Taiwan,”said Senator Merkley.“This bipartisan bill demonstrates the United States’ longstanding commitment to supporting Taiwan by properly recognizing Taiwan’s status. We must continue to send a strong message that the United States will use all resources at our disposal to foster healthy, robust relationships with our democratic partners, including Taiwan.”
Background:
To maintain substantive relations with Taiwan, in 1979, Congress enacted theTaiwan Relations Act, which emphasized the United States’ commitment to Taiwan’s security and autonomy and led to the establishment of TECRO, which functions as Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the United States.
The choice to use “Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” in TECRO’s naming convention was to avoid offending China, which holds the position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and insists that it falls under Beijing’s sovereignty. China has not ruled out using military force to assert control over Taiwan.
In November 2021, Lithuania—a NATO ally of the United States—allowed Taiwan to open an unofficial embassy which included the name “Taiwan”, rather than China’s preferred name “Chinese Taipei.” Beijing retaliated against this decision in response, but Lithuania withstood China’s economic warfare and kept the office open. The Biden Administrationreportedlyconsidered renaming Taiwan’s representative office but did not follow through.
TheTaiwan Representative Office Actelevates the United States’ relationship with Taiwan while maintaining that the United States’One China Policyis not to be confused with China’sOne China Principle.
Consistent with this policy, the Senators’ legislation:
Then-Congressman Curtis introduced the bill in the House of Representatives in the 118thCongress and then-Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced its Senate companion.
The full text of the legislation can be foundhere.Additional Reading:National Review:Taiwan Allies in the Senate Renew Push to Rename Embassy