US senators Pete Ricketts and Jeanne Shaheen on Friday introduced a bill to facilitate Europe’s transfer of US-made weapons to Taiwan to encourage improved cooperation between European countries and Taipei.
Ricketts, a Republican, and Shaheen, a Democrat, proposed the Building Options for the Lasting Security of Taiwan through European Resolve (BOLSTER) Act, which aims to create a mechanism for NATO countries in Europe to more easily transfer US equipment to support Taiwan’s defense, Ricketts said in a statement.
The bill was initiated after China on Thursday launched a massive two-day military exercise around Taiwan after President William Lai (賴清德) was sworn in on Monday.
Photo: Reuters
The bill would require the US secretary of state to set up an expedited decisionmaking process for third-party transfers of defense devices and services from NATO countries to Taiwan less than 90 days after the legislation is implemented.
To prevent China from “occupying any territory controlled or administered by Taiwan,” “violating the territorial integrity of Taiwan” and “taking significant action against Taiwan,” such as a naval blockade or cyberattack that threatens infrastructure, the bill would require the head of the US Office of Sanctions Coordination, in consultation with the director of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, to conduct regular discussions with the International Special Envoy for the Implementation of EU Sanctions and appropriate government officials of European countries.
If the bill is enacted, the state secretary must, within 180 days, brief the US Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations and Committee on Armed Services, the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Armed Services on discussions with governments of NATO countries in Europe about contributions to Taiwan’s self-defense.
The contributions would include arms transfers and sales — in particular of weapons consistent with an asymmetric defense strategy — and increasing the military presence of European NATO countries in the Indo-Pacific region, the bill says.
Under the bill, the US and European countries would discuss how to provide humanitarian aid to Taiwan in the event of a blockade, quarantine, or military invasion by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The bill would also require the US president to submit reports to the US Congress assessing the economic impact that Chinese military actions against Taiwan would have, including its effect on global trade, and a list of 10 economic sectors that would be most disrupted by a sustained blockade of Taiwan by the PLA.
“Everyone who believes in freedom and democracy, including our partners in Europe, must stand up to PRC [People’s Republic of China] aggression. That means strengthening ties to Taiwan and ensuring [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping, 習近平] understands an attack on Taiwan would have severe consequences,” Ricketts said in a statement.
The bill also includes a “Sense of Congress” resolution which says that the US and European countries should counter China’s propaganda and false narratives about UN Resolution 2758.
European countries, in particular those that have experience combating Russian aggression and malign activities could provide “Taiwan with lessons learned from their ‘total defense’ programs,” it says.
Resolution 2758 was adopted by the 26th UN General Assembly in 1971 to solve the issue of China’s representation in the UN system. It ultimately led to Taiwan, officially named the Republic of China, withdrawing from the UN and the PRC taking its place.
The resolution passed on Oct. 25, 1971, recognizes the PRC as the “only lawful representative of China,” but it does not mention Taiwan, does not state that Taiwan is part of the PRC and does not explicitly authorize Beijing to represent Taiwan in the UN system.
BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: The planned transit by the ‘Baden-Wuerttemberg’ and the ‘Frankfurt am Main’ would be the German Navy’s first passage since 2002 Two German warships are set to pass through the Taiwan Strait in the middle of this month, becoming the first German naval vessels to do so in 22 years, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. Reuters last month reported that the warships, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main, were awaiting orders from Berlin to sail the Strait, prompting a rebuke to Germany from Beijing. Der Spiegel cited unspecified sources as saying Beijing would not be formally notified of the German ships’ passage to emphasize that Berlin views the trip as normal. The German Federal Ministry of Defense declined to comment. While
‘REGRETTABLE’: TPP lawmaker Vivian Huang said that ‘we will continue to support Chairman Ko and defend his innocence’ as he was transferred to a detention facility The Taipei District Court yesterday ruled that Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) be detained and held incommunicado over alleged corruption dating to his time as mayor of Taipei. The ruling reversed a decision by the court on Monday morning that Ko be released without bail. After prosecutors on Wednesday appealed the Monday decision, the High Court said that Ko had potentially been “actively involved” in the alleged corruption and ordered the district court to hold a second detention hearing. Ko did not speak to reporters upon his arrival at the district court at about 9:10am yesterday to attend a procedural
‘UPHOLDING PEACE’: Taiwan’s foreign minister thanked the US Congress for using a ‘creative and effective way’ to deter Chinese military aggression toward the nation The US House of Representatives on Monday passed the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, aimed at deterring Chinese aggression toward Taiwan by threatening to publish information about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials’ “illicit” financial assets if Beijing were to attack. The act would also “restrict financial services for certain immediate family of such officials,” the text of the legislation says. The bill was introduced in January last year by US representatives French Hill and Brad Sherman. After remarks from several members, it passed unanimously. “If China chooses to attack the free people of Taiwan, [the bill] requires the Treasury secretary to publish the illicit
The Executive Yuan yesterday warned against traveling to or doing business in China after reports that Beijing is recruiting Taiwanese to help conceal the use of forced Uighur labor. The government is aware that Taiwan-based influencers and businesses are being asked to make pro-Beijing content and offered incentives to invest in the region, Executive Yuan acting spokeswoman Julia Hsieh (謝子涵) told a news conference. Taiwanese are urged to be aware of the potential personal and reputational harm by visiting or operating businesses in China, Hsieh said, adding that agencies are fully apprised of the situation. A national security official said that former Mainland
RSS