The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for approving the Taiwan policy act of 2022, saying the act would bolster Taiwan-US ties.
The bill was proposed by US Senator Bob Menendez, who chairs the committee, and US Senator Lindsey Graham to improve the US’ Taiwan policies and provide additional assistance to Taipei to contain Chinese aggression.
It still needs to pass the US Senate and the US House of Representatives, and be signed into law by US President Joe Biden by Jan. 3 next year.
Photo: Tyrone Siu, Reuters
Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said “the office wholeheartedly thanks the US Senate for showing its support for Taiwan.”
The bill would facilitate security cooperation between the two sides, deepen bilateral economic and trade interactions, and promote Taiwan’s international participation, Chang said.
Taiwan “does not bow down to pressure, nor does it take premature action upon receiving support,” he said, adding that the government would stay in communication with the US to protect regional stability.
Asked by reporters if he is worried whether the bill’s passage would anger China, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said that Taiwan “welcomes any means to bolster ties with the US, and improve regional security and peace.”
KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said the bill shows the US Congress’ determination to support Taiwan.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government should consider how to adjust its national defense strategy amid increasing military assistance from the US and how to deal with a possible change in Taiwan’s relationship with China if the bill passes, he added.
DPP Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) said the bill is the first step toward strengthening the relationship between Taiwan and the US, and expressed hope that the two sides would continue to move in that direction.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party, said that “Taiwan should not have been left out of the global order in the first place.”
The New Power Party said the DPP government should continue to improve Taiwan’s military and economic defenses against Chinese threats, regardless of support from US lawmakers.
Following a meeting between US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and US congressional leaders, the committee removed or made nonbinding some of the proposals in the bill, including renaming Taiwan’s de facto embassy in Washington, requiring US Senate approval for the appointment of envoys to Taipei and designating the nation a major non-NATO ally.
National Chengchi University associate professor of diplomacy Lu Yeh-chung (盧業中) said Taiwanese should not worry about the revisions, as there is bound to be some flexibility retained for the executive branch.
The bill “significantly strengthens” the relationship between Taiwan and the US, and “the [US’] general stance of supporting Taiwan remains unchanged,” he said.
Institute of National Defense and Security Research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said the revised version states that Taiwan should be treated as a major non-NATO ally.
The revision nevertheless grants Taiwan a higher status regarding military cooperation and arms sales, which could help Taipei quickly boost its defense capabilities, he said.
The original bill also proposed providing US$4.5 billion in foreign military financing to Taiwan — US$250 million next year, US$750 million in 2024, US$1.5 billion in 2025 and US$2 billion in 2026 — which would be paid back in 12 years, he said.
The revision changed the type of financing to non-repayable military assistance, added another US$2 billion and extended its duration for one more year, which suggests that there might be a risk of China attacking Taiwan by 2027, Su said.
The US for the first time included long-range precision missiles in possible arms packages to Taiwan to bolster the nation’s defenses, he added.
Wang Hsin-hsien (王信賢), a professor at the university’s Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies, said “the bill touches upon almost all of the core interests of China, including issues of sovereignty, security and development.”
The bill shows that legal principles concerning Taiwan have become part of the strategic competition between the US and China, he added.
Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan, Lin Liang-sheng, Chen Cheng-yu, Wu Po-hsuan and Shelley Shan
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