Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) – A U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would significantly boost U.S. military support for Taiwan, including provisions for billions of dollars in additional security assistance as China increases military pressure on the democratically-ruled island. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 17-5, despite concerns about the bill in US President Joe Biden’s administration and anger over the measure from Beijing. The strong bipartisan vote was a clear indication of support from both Republicans and Biden’s fellow Democrats for changes in US policy toward Taiwan, such as treating it as a major non-NATO ally. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Sponsors said the bill would be the most comprehensive overhaul of U.S. policy toward the island since the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act — the foundation of U.S. engagement with what China considers one of its provinces ever since. that Washington opened relations with Beijing that year. “We have to be clear about what we’re up against,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the committee, while stressing that the United States is not seeking war or heightened tensions with Beijing. “If we want to make sure Taiwan has a fighting chance, we have to act now,” said Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the committee, arguing that any change to the status quo on Taiwan would have “devastating effects” on the economy. and the US national economy. security. The bill would allocate $4.5 billion in security assistance to Taiwan over four years and supports its participation in international organizations. The act also includes extensive language regarding sanctions against China in the event of hostilities in the strait that separates it from the mainland.
THE OPPOSITE OF BEIJING
When the bill was introduced in June, China responded by saying it would be “forced to take decisive countermeasures” if Washington took actions that harmed China’s interests. read more “We have not discussed specific details,” Hsiao Bi-Khim, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Washington, told reporters at a Capitol event when asked if she had discussions with the White House about specific sanctions. “We talked about comprehensive deterrence in a broader sense of the need to explore different tools to ensure that the status quo in the Taiwan Straits can be maintained,” Hsiao said. He said he had expressed “gratitude” to Congress for the legislation. “Given the complexity of the differing views here in the United States as well, we hope we can come to some consensus on security, which is our top priority,” he said. Committee approval cleared the way for a full Senate vote, but there has been no word on when that might take place. To become law, it must also pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Biden or win enough support to override a veto. The White House said Tuesday it is in talks with members of Congress on how to change the act to ensure it does not change long-standing US policy toward Taiwan that it considers effective. Taiwan’s bill is likely to be folded into a larger bill expected to be passed later this year, such as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual bill-setting policy for the Defense Department. (This story corrects paragraph 4 regarding description of Taiwan) Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Michael Martina. edited by Jonathan Oatis and Richard Chang Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
