The US Congress was expected to start voting on a massive military policy bill including authorization of up to US$10 billion in security assistance and fast-tracked weapons procurement for Taiwan.
The compromise version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) does not include some controversial provisions of Taiwan legislation lawmakers proposed this year, including sanctions in the event of “significant escalation in aggression” against Taiwan by China, or a proposal that Taiwan be treated as a “major non-NATO ally.”
Beijing responded angrily when the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved broader Taiwan legislation in September, despite concern within US President Joe Biden’s administration that the bill could go too far in heightening tensions with China.
Photo: AP
The Senate and US House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services unveiled the NDAA late on Tuesday.
The US$858 billion military policy bill is expected to pass Congress and be signed into law this month.
The “Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act” included in the NDAA authorizes appropriations for military grant assistance for Taiwan of up to US$2 billion per year from next year through 2027, if the US secretary of state certifies that Taiwan increased its defense spending.
It includes a new foreign military financing loan guarantee authority and other measures to fast-track Taiwan’s weapons procurement, as well as the creation of a training program to improve Taiwan’s defense.
“Taiwan’s democracy remains the beating heart to our Indo-Pacific strategy, and the depth and strength of our commitment to the people of Taiwan is stronger than ever,” said US Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the foreign relations committee and sponsor of the Taiwan legislation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its gratitude for the “continued strong support for Taiwan’s security,” adding that it looked forward to the legislation being passed.
China staged military exercises near Taiwan in August after a visit to Taipei by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and has continued its military activities, although on a reduced scale.
Nine Chinese military aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and another two entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone between 6am on Wednesday and 6am yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Over the 24 hours, 27 aircraft and four naval vessels belonging to the People’s Liberation Army were active in the vicinity of Taiwan, with nine of the aircraft crossing the median line, which for many years functioned as a de facto maritime border, the defense ministry said in a statement.
The armed forces have tasked combat air patrol aircraft, navy vessels and land-based missile systems in response to the incursions, it added.
Earlier this week, the US Department of State approved the potential sale of US$428 million in aircraft parts to Taiwan to help its air force, which is strained from repeatedly intercepting Chinese jets operating around Taiwan.
Passed every year since 1961, the NDAA addresses everything from soldiers’ pay increases and how many aircraft can be purchased to strategies for addressing geopolitical threats.
The compromise version of the NDAA followed months of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House.
Additional reporting by CNA
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
China Airlines Ltd (CAL) yesterday morning joined SkyTeam’s Aviation Challenge for the fourth time, operating a demonstration flight for “net zero carbon emissions” from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Bangkok. The flight used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a ratio of up to 40 percent, the highest proportion CAL has achieved to date, the nation’s largest carrier said. Since April, SAF has become available to Taiwanese international carriers at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Kaohsiung International Airport and Taoyuan airport. In previous challenges, CAL operated “net zero carbon emission flights” to Singapore and Japan. At a ceremony at Taoyuan airport, China Airlines chief sustainability
‘ONE CHINA’: A statement that Berlin decides its own China policy did not seem to sit well with Beijing, which offered only one meeting with the German official German Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul’s trip to China has been canceled, a spokesperson for his ministry said yesterday, amid rising tensions between the two nations, including over Taiwan. Wadephul had planned to address Chinese curbs on rare earths during his visit, but his comments about Berlin deciding on the “design” of its “one China” policy ahead of the trip appear to have rankled China. Asked about Wadephul’s comments, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun (郭嘉昆) said the “one China principle” has “no room for any self-definition.” In the interview published on Thursday, Wadephul said he would urge China to
RSS