Tue, Jul 04, 2023 page1

• US lawmakers call for Taiwan to join military drill

  • By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter
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  Members of the US House of Representatives have proposed 34 Taiwan-related amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, calling on the US to invite Taiwan to conduct joint military exercises and establish a war reserve stock program.

  The US House and Senate are deliberating on the NDAA after both of their armed services committees passed their own versions of the bill last month.

  According to the Web site of the House Committee on Rules, 1,399 proposed amendments were submitted by the deadline on Friday last week.

  

  More than 40 ships and submarines representing 15 international partner nations travel in formation in the Pacific Ocean during the Rim of the Pacific 2014 exercises in a photograph taken by the US Navy on July 25, 2014, and released on July 31, 2014.

  Photo: Reuters

  In addition to inviting Taiwan to join next year’s Rim of the Pacific exercise, US Representative Andy Ogles said that the “US-Taiwan relationship would benefit from having President Tsai [Ing-wen (蔡英文)] address a joint meeting of the United States Congress.”

  US Representative Mike Gallagher, chairman of the US House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and others called on the US secretary of defense to strengthen working-level communication between the US and Taiwan, such as conducting joint exercises and exchanging operation tactics, techniques and procedures.

  Gallagher also proposed that the US should evaluate the provision of defense support for Taiwan, launch a war reserve stock program and study the feasibility of establishing a combined planning group with Taiwan.

  An amendment proposed by US Representative Tom Tiffany would prohibit the US Department of Defense from creating, procuring or displaying any map that depicts Taiwan or its outlying islands as part of the territory of China.

  Taiwan must not be referred to as anything other than Taiwan in publications or on departmental and agency Web sites, US Representative Scott Perry proposed.

  Members of the US military and Department of Defense employees should be exempted “from arbitrary, self-imposed State Department restrictions on official travel to Taiwan and normal communication with Taiwanese officials,” Tiffany proposed.

  US Representative Ann Wagner asked the government to regularly review its Taiwan contact guidelines to see if they accomplish the objectives set out in the Taiwan Assurance Act and the Taiwan Relations Act, and identify “opportunities to lift self-imposed restrictions on relations with Taiwan.”

  If Taiwan is neither a member nor observer of the WHO and had not participated in the preceding World Health Assembly, funds authorized or appropriated under the NDAA should not be made available to the WHO, US Representative Dave Joyce’s amendment says.

  Cross-party representatives Young Kim, Al Green and Michael Lawler urged the US governor of the IMF “to vigorously advocate for Taiwan’s admission into the IMF as a member.”

  US representatives Tony Gonzales and Mariannette Miller-Meeks called for a report on the feasibility of establishing a US Customs and Border Patrol pre-clearance facility in Taiwan, which would expedite travel to the US.

  After the full House and Senate have passed their versions of the bill, both chambers are to negotiate a final compromise version before sending it to the US president to be signed.

  Additional reporting by CNA
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