Two US senators on Friday introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at boosting liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Taiwan and strengthening its energy infrastructure amid China’s growing aggression.
The Taiwan Energy Security and Anti-Embargo Act was sponsored by Republican Pete Ricketts and Democrat Chris Coons, chairman and ranking member respectively of the US Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.
Ricketts in a statement described the bill as a measure to ensure adequate US energy shipments to Taiwan in the event of a contingency.
Photo: Reuters
“Taiwan imports nearly all of its energy, leaving it vulnerable to Communist China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive actions,” he said.
The US supplies 10 percent of Taiwan’s LNG, making it the country’s third-largest source after Australia and Qatar, according to the Energy Administration.
The legislation would require the US government to increase LNG exports to Taiwan, work with Taipei to strengthen its energy infrastructure through security and resilience measures, and establish a Taiwan-US energy security center to promote cooperation and academic exchanges.
It would also encourage Taiwan to maintain nuclear power as an energy source and adopt new technologies such as small modular reactors, with US support for nuclear cooperation.
“Energy security is a glaring vulnerability for our Taiwanese partners. Unleashing America’s energy resources and expertise to strengthen Taiwan’s resilience serves both the US and Taiwan’s national security interests,” Ricketts said.
China could use every tool to pressure Taiwan — not just militarily, but also through “gray zone” tactics such as interfering with its fuel imports, Coons said.
“This bipartisan bill will help stabilize the region by allowing Taiwan to buy more US fuel and encouraging it to work with the US on next-generation nuclear energy that will make the island less reliant on imports,” he said.
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