Why It Matters
A central tension in U.S.-Taiwan policy centers on how the United States can support Taiwan's defense without triggering a cross-Strait conflict. A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report finds that tension is sharpening as arms-transfer decisions, Taiwan's own budget politics, and PRC military pressure converge.
According to the report, the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) states that it is U.S. policy to make defense articles and services available to Taiwan and to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan, but it does not require the United States to defend Taiwan, which leaves "strategic ambiguity" about potential U.S. actions in the event of a attack by China.
The Big Picture
CRS reports that some observers assess the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is, or soon will be, able to execute military campaigns ranging from missile strikes and blockades to an amphibious invasion of Taiwan's main island, which the report calls "the riskiest campaign."
According to the report, some stakeholders in Taiwan's defense establishment argue conventional capabilities are also needed to deter gray-zone pressure, but uncertainty about the scale and duration of possible U.S. aid informs that debate.
Meanwhile, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (P.L. 119-60) authorized $1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative for the current fiscal year, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-75) both appropriated that $1 billion and provided $300 million in Foreign Military Financing grants for Taiwan.
The Bottom Line
The report notes that Chinese responses to some U.S. support or high-level engagement have included increased coercive activity, without presenting that as proof that support causes conflict.
Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article