US Representative Mike Gallagher on Friday introduced a bill aimed at increasing Taiwan’s asymmetric defense capabilities to protect against China’s military aggression.
Under the proposed arm Taiwan act of 2021, the US would enhance Taiwan’s defenses against a Chinese invasion by allocating US$3 billion every year for a “Taiwan Security Assistance Initiative,” Gallagher said in a statement.
The act would make Taiwan’s progress in preparing its military and fielding weapons required to deter an attack by China a condition for conventional arms sales to the nation, he said.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
“General Secretary [Chinese President] Xi Jinping (習近平) has made unification of Taiwan with the mainland, by force if necessary, a key part of his legacy, and the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] is only growing more aggressive watching the [US President Joe] Biden Administration’s weakness in Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran,” Gallagher said.
The US “Congress needs to step up to restore deterrence before it is too late. I am proud to join [US] Senator [Josh] Hawley in introducing the arm Taiwan act to provide Taiwan with the necessary resources and weapons to defeat an attempted invasion,” Gallagher added.
In November last year, Hawley introduced an identical bill.
Under the act, the US secretary of defense would be tasked with establishing the Taiwan Security Assistance Initiative to accelerate the nation’s deployment of asymmetric defense capabilities necessary to delay, degrade and deny a Chinese invasion.
The act would authorize the US Department of Defense to appropriate US$3 billion each fiscal year from next year through 2027 to assist Taiwan.
Funding would be conditional on the annual certification that Taiwan was matching US investments in asymmetric defenses, increasing defense spending, acquiring asymmetric defense capabilities as quickly as possible and implementing defense reforms, especially with regard to reserve forces, Gallagher said.
“If the People’s Republic of China were to invade and seize control of Taiwan, it would deal a severe blow to United States interests by destroying one of the world’s leading democracies, casting doubt on the ability and resolve of the United States to uphold its security commitments; incentivizing other countries in the Indo-Pacific region to bandwagon with the People’s Republic of China; and facilitating the formation of a regional order dominated by the People’s Republic of China,” the bill reads.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS