A bill introduced in the US Senate on Friday would make US policy on arms sales to Taiwan more consistent, a Taiwanese defense expert said on Saturday.
The bill, dubbed the Taiwan Weapons Exports Act, would “fast-track weapons to Taiwan” by expediting congressional approval and eliminating administrative roadblocks amid increasing tensions between Taiwan and China, US Senator Josh Hawley, who proposed the bill, said in a statement.
In particular, the bill seeks to redesignate Taiwan from Country Group A:5 to Country Group A:6 so that it can receive a strategic trade authorization license exception under the Export Administration Regulations, the statement said.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Other countries in Country Group A:5 include NATO member states Australia, India, Japan and South Korea, the statement said.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), an analyst at the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the proposed legislation would make the US’ policy of arms sales to Taiwan more consistent.
US arms sales to Taiwan are currently reviewed by the US Department of State on a case-by-case basis and the time spent on each sale can differ greatly, he said.
The bill, if passed and signed into law, would bring the review process in line with that for NATO members and other US allies, Su said, adding that it would also prevent disruptions in sales of defense products to Taiwan due to political factors.
Meanwhile, Chieh Chung (揭仲), an associate research fellow at the National Policy Foundation in Taipei, said that the bill would also shorten the congressional review of US arms sales to Taiwan from 30 days to 15 days.
Arms sales to major US allies, such as NATO members, Israel, Japan and South Korea, require approval from the US Congress if a single deal is estimated to cost more than US$25 million, Chieh said, adding that congressional review takes about 15 days.
Any US arms sales to Taiwan worth more than US$14 million currently require congressional approval, with the review process taking up to 30 days, he said.
When it comes to the sale of major defense articles and strategic technologies, the US government tends to prioritize major allies, Chieh said.
The proposed legislation would pave the way for Taiwan to acquire advanced weapons and technologies like other major US allies, he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday thanked Hawley for his consistent support of Taiwan, saying in a statement that it would closely follow the proposed bill’s progress.
Taiwan would continue working with the US Congress and US President Joe Biden’s administration to further improve bilateral ties and contribute to stability in the Indo-Pacific region, it added.
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