U.S. Senators John Curtis and Michael Bennet led a bipartisan group of senators in sending a letter on May 13 to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reaffirming congressional support for the Taiwan Relations Act and opposing any unilateral changes to U.S. policy toward Taiwan.
The letter comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s summit with China’s President Xi Jinping, highlighting the importance lawmakers place on maintaining longstanding commitments to Taiwan amid evolving regional dynamics.
In their message, Curtis, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Bennet, from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, were joined by ten other senators. The group wrote: “For nearly five decades, the TRA has been the cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan ties, enabling a strong and mutually beneficial relationship. This bipartisan law requires the United States to provide Taiwan—a critical economic and technological partner, and a thriving democracy—defense articles and services necessary to maintain the island’s self-defense capability. The TRA further states that the United States would consider any attempt to determine Taiwan’s future by non-peaceful means to be ‘a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific,’ and of ‘grave concern.’”
The senators also said: “Our commitment to this legislation has long helped ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait—which is essential to U.S. interests there and across the Indo-Pacific. Maintaining this commitment is necessary to ensure the credibility of U.S. security commitments to allies and partners in the region and beyond.”
“In the spirit of longstanding bipartisan support for the U.S.-Taiwan relationship, we stand ready to work with your administration to further strengthen this partnership,” concluded Curtis, Bennet, and their colleagues.
Curtis serves as senator representing Utah in Congress after previously serving two terms as mayor of Provo; he also founded the Conservative Climate Caucus according to his official website.
The broader implications center on reinforcing stability in East Asia through established legislative frameworks such as the TRA while ensuring continuity in American foreign policy.
