The House votes to remove a ban on high-level political contact between the United States and Taiwan citing the need for an equal partnership between the two sides based on freedom and democracy. The amendment was part of a US$60 billion spending bill for the State Department. The action however, had no immediate effect as the State Department retained latitude to enforce its own self-restraints on official interaction with Taiwan.

The move nonetheless, drew criticism from the Chinese, who claimed that it violated the foundation for Sino-U.S. relations and drew into question Washington’s commitment to the "One China" Policy.

The "Guidelines on Relations With Taiwan" were issued by the State Department in 2001. They specifically prohibited holding meetings with Taiwanese representatives at the White House or the State Department building, barred high-level federal employees from attending formal Taiwanese receptions, banned mid-level State and Defense Department officials from traveling to Taiwan on "official business," prohibited officials above the rank of assistant secretary from making trips to Taiwan for personal reasons, and prohibited direct correspondence between U.S. and Taiwanese officials.