The US Senate’s Armed Services Committee on Thursday voted to advance the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes provisions aimed at boosting defense cooperation with Taiwan.
The act, a US$777.9 billion bill for US national defense, was passed by a vote of 23-3 and is awaiting action from the full Senate.
Under provisions related to Taiwan, the bill requires the US “secretary of defense to provide an assessment of Taiwan’s defensive asymmetric capabilities and a plan for assisting Taiwan with the improvement of such capabilities,” a 40-page summary of the act said.
The feasibility of increasing the US’ defense cooperation with Taiwan should be examined, as well as the capacity of the US Department of Defense to “deter and respond to a Chinese use of force to alter the status quo with respect to Taiwan,” the summary said.
The US would work on the feasibility and advisability of enhanced cooperation between Taiwan and the US National Guard, the summary said.
It would be the policy to “maintain the ability of the United States Armed Forces to deny a fait accompli against Taiwan in order to deter the People’s Republic of China from using military force to unilaterally change the status quo with Taiwan,” it said.
In the US House of Representatives, its Armed Services Committee is expected to review its version of the bill on Wednesday and Thursday next week, after which it would face a vote on Sept. 1.
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