US Representative Young Kim has introduced a bill to deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan, calling for an interagency “tiger team” to preplan coordinated sanctions and economic measures in response to possible Chinese military or political action against Taiwan.
“[Chinese President] Xi Jinping [習近平] has directed the People’s Liberation Army to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. China has a plan. America should have one too,” Kim said in a news release on Thursday last week.
She introduced the “Deter PRC [People’s Republic of China] aggression against Taiwan act” to “ensure the US has a coordinated sanctions strategy ready should the Chinese Communist Party move to take physical or political control of Taiwan,” the news release said.
Photo: Screen grab from Kim’s home page
“This bill sends a clear message to Beijing: any move against Taiwan will come with swift, coordinated, and devastating economic consequences,” said Kim, who chairs the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific.
The bill would set up an interagency “tiger team” to review sanctions tools and other economic options, determine which Chinese entities could be targeted and enhance coordination between allies to help deter any aggression toward Taiwan, the news release said.
The legislation would create a China sanctions task force led by the US Department of State and Department of the Treasury to identify Chinese-linked entities, sectors and people who could be targeted in the event of an invasion of Taiwan, and to develop coordinated sanctions and economic response plans in advance of any crisis.
The task force would also seek to align such planning with US allies, review gaps in existing sanctions authorities and enforcement mechanisms, and bolster interagency coordination.
In addition, it would be responsible for developing mitigation measures, including exemptions and carve-outs to limit unintended impacts on US businesses and consumers, and for submitting recommendations to US Congress on improving overall sanctions preparedness and coordination against China.
“China’s aggression threatens not just Taiwan, but the broader stability of the Indo-Pacific,” US Representative Johnny Olszewski said.
“I’m proud to colead this bill to ensure the United States is ready with a coordinated and effective response if Beijing uses force against Taiwan. The best way to prevent conflict is to be fully prepared before it starts,” Olszewski said.
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