US Senator Marco Rubio has introduced a bill seeking to boost US defense readiness in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
The draft Deterring Chinese Preemptive Strikes Act seeks to improve aircraft shelters for US military assets in the Indo-Pacific region, Rubio’s office said in a statement on Thursday.
The bill urges the US Department of Defense to “harden US facilities in the Indo-Pacific region to help deter a preemptive strike against US forces and assets in the region by China ahead of an invasion of Taiwan,” it said.
Photo: REUTERS
The bill urges the US government to identify all US aircraft shelters in the Indo-Pacific region — including in the first, second and third island chains — and submit a report on the results within 120 days after the enactment of the legislation.
Within 60 days after the submission of the report, the US secretary of defense should propose a plan to implement improvements to the shelters to increase aircraft survivability in the event of a missile, drone or other form of attack by China, the bill says.
Rubio a day earlier reintroduced the Taiwan Representative Office Act, calling on the US government to rename the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in Washington the “Taiwan Representative Office.”
“Taiwan is an indispensable partner and an exemplary beacon of democracy in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said, adding that the name change would be the best way “to recognize Taiwan’s contributions to global stability.”
US representatives John Curtis and Chris Pappas introduced companion legislation in the US House of Representatives.
“It is long overdue to correctly name the de facto embassy of our long-time friend and ally, Taiwan,” Curtis said. “We shouldn’t tolerate pressure from China to undermine the sovereignty of the Taiwanese people.”
In other developments, the Minnesota House of Representatives and the state Senate passed resolutions to urge the US to sign a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan and support the nation’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
The state legislature reaffirmed its “commitment to the strengthening and deepening of the sister ties between the state of Minnesota and Taiwan,” the resolutions say.
It vowed to continue supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, saying that it affects the health, safety and well-being of Taiwanese.
The state legislature supports “Taiwan’s aspiration to make more contributions in international societies,” the bills say.
“Taiwan is capable of, and willing to, fulfill its responsibilities and to collaborate with the world to deal with the challenges of humanitarian aid, disease control, and so forth,” the bills say.
The resolutions say that a bilateral trade agreement should enable people and entities to avoid double taxation.
Taiwan should be allowed to participate in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, they say.
In conducting business with the nation, it is “legitimate” for firms based in Minnesota to refer to Taiwan as Taiwan according to the US’ Taiwan Relations Act, they say.
Minnesota has “enjoyed strong bilateral trade, educational and cultural exchanges, and tourism” since it established a sister-state relationship with the nation in 1984, they say.
The US is Taiwan’s second-largest trading partner and Taiwan is the US’ eighth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching more than US$856 billion in 2021, they say.
Being Minnesota’s fifth-largest export market in Asia in 2021, Taiwan imported US$526 million in goods made in Minnesota, they add.
The bills were introduced by several lawmakers from the Taiwan Friendship Caucus in the Minnesota legislature, including Senator John Hoffman, and representatives Marion O’Neill and Mohamud Noor.
The resolutions followed similar bills passed earlier this year in the Indiana Senate and House of Representatives, the Illinois House of Representatives, and the Wisconsin Senate and House of Representatives.
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