[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2684 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2684
To support countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that maintain
official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, to counter efforts by the
People's Republic of China to coerce or pressure governments into
breaking such ties, to deepen coordination with Taiwan on diplomatic,
development, and economic engagement in the Western Hemisphere, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 2, 2025
Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Ricketts)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that maintain
official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, to counter efforts by the
People's Republic of China to coerce or pressure governments into
breaking such ties, to deepen coordination with Taiwan on diplomatic,
development, and economic engagement in the Western Hemisphere, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Taiwan Partnership in
the Americas Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Taiwan is a democratic partner of the United States,
and countries that maintain ties with Taiwan often share our
Nation's commitment to transparency, good governance, and human
rights.
(2) The People's Republic of China has pressured Taiwan's
remaining 7 diplomatic allies in Latin America and the
Caribbean to sever diplomatic relations with Taiwan by
leveraging opaque development deals and backroom pressure.
(3) The United States has an interest in ensuring countries
in Latin America and the Caribbean can make sovereign foreign
policy decisions free from coercion or financial manipulation
by the People's Republic of China.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States--
(1) to support countries in Latin America and the Caribbean
that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan;
(2) to counter efforts by the People's Republic of China to
coerce or pressure governments in the region into breaking
diplomatic ties with Taiwan; and
(3) to deepen coordination with Taiwan on its development
and economic engagement in the Western Hemisphere.
SEC. 4. MONITORING THE ECONOMIC INFLUENCE OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF
CHINA.
(a) Infrastructure Influence Risk Mechanism.--The Secretary of
State shall establish a mechanism to track and respond to
infrastructure and development projects by the People's Republic of
China in countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
(b) Functions.--The mechanism required under subsection (a) shall--
(1) identify projects referred to in such subsection that
carry strategic risks or involve non-transparent financing;
(2) coordinate appropriate United States diplomatic or
technical responses to such projects; and
(3) share relevant information with Congress and with
United States allies.
SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Semiannual Status Report.--The Secretary of State shall submit
semiannual status reports to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives regarding governments in Latin America that have taken
steps to discontinue diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
(b) Diplomatic Engagement Plan.--If the Secretary of State
determines that a government in a country referred to in subsection (a)
is taking steps to terminate diplomatic relations with Taiwan, the
Secretary, not later than 30 days after such determination, shall
submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives that
includes a detailed plan to support the maintenance of official
diplomatic relations between such government and Taiwan.
(c) Annual Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the
following 5 years, the Secretary of State shall submit a report
to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives
that includes--
(A) an assessment of the goals, investments, and
interests of the People's Republic of China in Latin
America and the Caribbean that maintain diplomatic
relations with Taiwan;
(B) an overview of the pressure tactics and
influence campaigns carried out by the People' s
Republic of China in countries in Latin America and the
Caribbean that maintain diplomatic relations with
Taiwan; and
(C) the actions taken by the Department of State
during the most recent 12-month period to implement
this Act by--
(i) supporting Taiwan's diplomatic partners
in Latin America and the Caribbean; and
(ii) countering the efforts of the People's
Republic of China to isolate Taiwan from its
Latin American and Caribbean allies.
(2) Form.--Each report required under paragraph (1) shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
SEC. 6. TAIWAN-AMERICAS STRATEGIC COORDINATION.
The Secretary of State should take steps to expand United States
coordination with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with
respect to Taiwan by--
(1) coordinating joint programming and technical
cooperation with United States allies;
(2) aligning public diplomacy efforts; and
(3) encouraging collaboration between United States
embassies and Taiwan's representative offices in Latin America
and the Caribbean.
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