The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the US military budget for next year, with an amendment that directs the US secretary of defense to grant Taiwan observer status in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC).
The amendment, proposed by Mark Walker, a Republican from North Carolina, “directs the Secretary of Defense to grant observer status to the military forces of Taiwan in any maritime exercise known as the Rim of the Pacific Exercise.”
The amendment specified that “this section takes effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.”
Other amendments related to Taiwan include a requirement that the US secretary of defense submit a report at the end of each fiscal year listing each request received from Taiwan, and each letter of offer to sell defense articles or services to Taiwan during that year.
The approved bill also states that the secretary of defense should conduct a program of senior military exchanges between the US and Taiwan with the objective of improving bilateral military relations and defense cooperation.
The bill also mentions the Taiwan Relations Act, saying it is the US’ policy to provide Taiwan with defensive arms and to maintain the capacity of the US “to defend against any forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people on Taiwan.”
Taiwan has received more than US$70 million in royalties as of the end of last year from developing the F-16V jet as countries worldwide purchase or upgrade to this popular model, government and military officials said on Saturday. Taiwan funded the development of the F-16V jet and ended up the sole investor as other countries withdrew from the program. Now the F-16V is increasingly popular and countries must pay Taiwan a percentage in royalties when they purchase new F-16V aircraft or upgrade older F-16 models. The next five years are expected to be the peak for these royalties, with Taiwan potentially earning
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