WASHINGTON: The United States Congress is expected to start voting as soon as Wednesday (Dec 7) on a massive military policy bill including authorisation of up to US$10 billion in security assistance and fast-tracked weapons procurement for Taiwan, as China exerts pressure on the democratically governed island.
The compromise version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, does not include some controversial provisions of Taiwan legislation lawmakers proposed earlier this year, including sanctions in the event of “significant escalation in aggression” against Taiwan by China, or a proposal that Taiwan be treated as a “major non-NATO ally”.
China considers Taiwan its territory and has never renounced using force to bring it under its control. Beijing responded angrily when the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved broader Taiwan legislation in September despite concerns within President Joe Biden’s administration that the bill could go too far in heightening tensions with China.
The Senate and House Armed Services committees unveiled the NDAA late on Tuesday. The US$858 billion military policy bill is expected to pass Congress and be signed into law this month.
The Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act included in the NDAA authorises appropriations for military grant assistance for Taiwan up to US$2 billion per year from 2023 through 2027, if the US secretary of state certifies that Taiwan increased its defense spending.
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