Sanctions Targeting Aggressors of Neighboring Democracies with Taiwan Act of 2026
A BILL
To require the imposition of sanctions with respect to the People’s Republic of China if the People's Republic of China threatens the security of Taiwan, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
Taiwan is a free and prosperous democracy of nearly 23,000,000 people, an important contributor to peace and stability around the world, and continues to embody and promote democratic values, freedom, and human rights in Asia.
The policy of the United States toward Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.).
Under section 2 of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301), it is the policy of the United States—
“to preserve and promote extensive, close, and friendly commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of the United States and the people on Taiwan, as well as the people on the China mainland and all other peoples of the Western Pacific area”;
“to declare that peace and stability in the area are in the political, security, and economic interests of the United States, and are matters of international concern”;
“to make clear that the United States decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means”;
“to consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes, a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States”;
“to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character”; and
“to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan”.
For decades and increasingly since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen as President of Taiwan in 2016, the Chinese Communist Party has employed a variety of coercive military and nonmilitary tactics short of armed conflict in its efforts to exert existential pressure on Taiwan, including through diplomatic isolation, restricting tourism, cyberattacks, spreading disinformation, and controlling the ability of Taiwan to purchase COVID–19 vaccines from other countries.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the People's Republic of China undertook live-fire military exercises in the Taiwan Strait April 1 and 2, 2025, vowing to maintain combat readiness and prevent any attempts by Taiwan to gain independence from the People's Republic of China. The exercise reportedly involved Chinese 76 aircraft of the People's Liberation Army, 15 naval ships and four official ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy, with 37 sorties crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern, and eastern air defense identification zone.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, 29 Chinese warplanes and drones crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait on February 19 and 20, 2025.
In March 2021, then-Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Philip Davidson, testified that the threat of a military invasion of Taiwan by the People’s Liberation Army “is manifest during this decade, in fact in the next six years”.
In October 2024, the People's Republic of China employed a record 125 aircraft, as well as its Liaoning aircraft carrier and ships, in large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan and its outlying islands, simulating the sealing off of key ports. As part of that exercise, 111 Chinese aircraft reportedly crossed the median line, entering Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. That action followed remarks by Taiwan’s president rejecting Beijing’s claim of sovereignty over the self-governed island.
Sec. 3 Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that—
it is in the interest of the United States to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region, with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait as a critical component;
efforts by the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party to unilaterally determine the future of Taiwan through non-peaceful means, including threats and the direct use of force, military coercion, economic boycotts or embargoes, cyberattacks, and efforts to internationally isolate or annex Taiwan—
directly undermine the spirit, intent, and purpose of the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.);
undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait;
limit a free and open Indo-Pacific region; and
are of grave concern to the Government of the United States;
the initiation of a military invasion of Taiwan by the People’s Liberation Army would—
constitute a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and threaten the peace stability of the entire globe; and
undermine the core political, security, and economic interests of the United States at home and abroad; and
as an important deterrent measure against a military invasion of Taiwan, the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party must understand that initiating such an invasion will result in catastrophic economic and financial consequences for the People’s Republic of China.
Sec. 4 Definitions
In this Act:
Account; correspondent account; payable-through account— The terms account, correspondent account, and payable-through account have the meanings given those terms in section 5318A of title 31, United States Code.
Admission; admitted; alien— The terms admission, admitted, and alien have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).
Appropriate congressional committees— The term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate; and
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives.
Armed Forces of the People's Republic of China— The term Armed Forces of the People’s Republic of China includes, at a minimum—
the People’s Liberation Army Aerospace Force;
the People’s Liberation Army Cyberspace Force;
the People’s Liberation Army Information Support Force;
the People’s Liberation Army Joint Logistics Support Force;
the People’s Liberation Army Air Force;
the People’s Liberation Army Army;
the People’s Liberation Army Navy;
the People’s Liberation Army Special Operations Forces;
the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force;
the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission;
the China Coast Guard;
paramilitary forces, including the Maritime Militia;
the People’s Armed Police; and
any successor entities or proxies of the entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (M).
Covered determination— The term covered determination has the meaning given that term in section 101(a).
Critical infrastructure—
In general— The term critical infrastructure, with respect to Taiwan, means systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to Taiwan that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have catastrophic regional or national effects on public health or safety, economic security, or national security.
Included sectors— The term critical infrastructure includes assets in the following sectors:
Biotechnology.
Chemical.
Commercial facilities.
Communications.
Critical manufacturing.
Dams.
Defense industrial base.
Emergency services.
Energy.
Financial services.
Food and agriculture.
Government facilities.
Healthcare and public health.
Information technology.
Materials and waste.
Nuclear reactors.
Space.
Transportation systems.
Water and wastewater systems.
Financial institution— The term financial institution means a financial institution specified in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), (I), (J), (M), or (Y) of section 5312(a)(2) of title 31, United States Code.
Foreign person— The term foreign person means an individual or entity that is not a United States person.
Knowingly— The term knowingly with respect to conduct, a circumstance, or a result, means that a person had actual knowledge, or should have known, of the conduct, the circumstance, or the result.
Sanctioned person— The term sanctioned person means any person with respect to which sanctions are imposed under this Act.
Top decision-making body— The term top decision-making body, with respect to the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party, includes—
the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee;
the Chinese Communist Party Central Military Commission;
the Chinese Communist Party Politburo;
the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee;
the Chinese Communist Party National Congress;
the State Council of the People’s Republic of China;
the State Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China; and
any successor entity or proxy of an entity described in any of subparagraphs (A) through (G).
United states person— The term United States person means—
a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States; or
an entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.