The U.S. House of Representatives Passes the Taiwan Protection Act | WPN World People News

On the 9th, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 1531, the “Taiwan Protection Act,” by a vote of 395 to 2, formally establishing “economic sanctions” as a means to deter China’s military threats. The bill stipulates that if China’s actions pose a direct threat to Taiwan’s security, economic stability, or social system, the U.S. executive branch will be authorized to initiate procedures to sever China’s ties with key global financial systems such as the G20. The bill will now be sent to the U.S. Senate for a vote and will take effect only after being signed by President Trump.

The legislation, which enjoys strong bipartisan support, requires that if tensions in the Taiwan Strait escalate, the U.S. president must notify core financial authorities, including the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, and take “all necessary steps” to exclude China from six major international financial systems. Republican Representative Frank Lucas noted that the sanctions would include influential international economic and financial organizations such as the G20, the Financial Stability Board, and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.

Republican Representative French Hill stated bluntly that the enactment of this bill would ensure that if China launches aggression, it would have to bear extremely heavy economic and diplomatic costs, thereby establishing a substantive deterrent barrier. However, while demonstrating hard power, the bill also preserves diplomatic flexibility: if the president determines that implementing sanctions would harm U.S. interests, a waiver authority may be exercised.

Although the House has demonstrated strong resolve, the bill must still be passed by the Senate and ultimately signed by President Trump to become law. In the past, similar bills have passed the House but failed to receive a Senate vote. Whether this legislation can complete the process in the current Congress and be sent to President Trump for signature remains to be seen.