U.S. House Approves Amendment Banning Maps That Depict Taiwan as Part of China
On July 17, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act (H.R. 4016) that prohibits the Department from creating, procuring, or displaying any map that depicts Taiwan as part of China — a frequent misrepresentation driven by Beijing’s efforts to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty and spread confusion. The amendment (H.Amdt. 62), introduced by Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), was approved by voice vote.
Background: U.S. policy toward Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances. Under this framework, the United States does not recognize the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. On the contrary, the U.S. maintains a strong, comprehensive, though unofficial relationship with Taiwan, grounded in shared interests and democratic values. Accordingly, it has long been U.S. policy not to depict or describe Taiwan as part of China.
This includes the depiction of Taiwan on maps. In 2022, Congress, also led by Rep. Tiffany, prohibited the U.S. State Department from purchasing or displaying maps that depict Taiwan as part of China through a provision in the FY 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R.2471).
The Amendment: During floor debate on the FY26 DoD Appropriations Act, Rep. Tiffany, who introduced the “Honest Maps Amendment,” emphasized that the measure was not controversial, stating: “The people of Taiwan elect their own leaders, deploy their own armed forces, conduct their own foreign policy, and maintain their own trade agreements with other countries.” He added, “By every measure, Taiwan is a sovereign, democratic and independent nation — and any claims to the contrary are simply false.”
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) also spoke in support of the amendment.
Implications: The amendment reaffirms Congress’s commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, as well as its rejection of China’s illegitimate sovereignty claims over Taiwan. The fact that the Honest Maps Amendment passed via voice vote — without the need for a recorded vote — underscores the bipartisan consensus on support for Taiwan and the continued normalization of U.S.-Taiwan engagement.
Sources:
[1] Focus Taiwan
[2] Taipei Times
[3] US House Clerk
U.S. House Passes Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act to Counter Chinese Aggression
On July 21, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act of 2025 (H.R. 1716), a bill aimed at deterring Chinese military aggression against Taiwan by imposing swift and severe economic consequences on senior members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) if it initiate a military invasion of Taiwan.
About the Bill: If enacted into law, the bill would require that — once the President determines that a Chinese threat against Taiwan exists — the U.S. Department of the Treasury report to Congress on the assets held by senior CCP officials, including the total amount, how those funds were acquired, and whether any illicit or corrupt methods were involved. The Treasury would then be required to prohibit significant transactions between U.S. financial institutions and those top CCP officials and, if appropriate, their immediate family members.
Background: The Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act is a bipartisan bill introduced in February 2025 by Reps. Lisa McClain (R-MI), the House Republican Conference Chairwoman, and Brad Sherman (D-CA). It was Chairwoman McClain’s first legislative proposal in the 119th Congress (2025–2026) and was unanimously approved by the House Financial Services Committee in March.
“Congress took a major step to protect peace, defend democracy, and deter aggression against our ally Taiwan,” said Chairwoman McClain. “The Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act makes it crystal clear to the CCP: invading Taiwan will come with steep and immediate costs.” She added that the legislation “puts teeth behind our commitment to peace through strength in the Indo-Pacific.”
Implications: The bill reinforces the U.S. position that Chinese aggression toward Taiwan will not be tolerated. It sends a strong, bipartisan, and bicameral message of unwavering support for Taiwan’s security, while directly challenging Beijing’s efforts to forcibly annex democratic Taiwan.
