The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is on Oct. 22 scheduled to hold a hearing to review a series of bills, four of which are in support of Taiwan, the committee’s Web site says.
The Providing our Regional Companions Upgraded Protection in Nefarious Environments Act, or PORCUPINE Act, would affect US and NATO-plus members’ arms sales to Taiwan; the Taiwan International Solidarity Act would oppose China from distorting Taiwan’s claims to sovereignty; the Deter PRC [People’s Republic of China] Aggression Against Taiwan Act would prepare economic sanctions against the PRC in the event of aggression against Taiwan; and the United States-Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act would support Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The bills are to undergo line-by-line review and a vote by the committee before being sent to the full Senate for consideration.
Photo: Bloomberg
The Senate and the US House of Representatives must pass identical versions of a bill before it can be signed into law by the US president.
The PORCUPINE Act would expedite sales of arms to Taiwan by placing it on the same list as NATO Plus members, including Japan and Australia.
As an amendment to the Arms Export Control Act, the bill would place Taiwan on the list of countries eligible for shorter certification and notification periods, expedite licenses and facilitate the transfer of military equipment.
“The PORCUPINE Act will make it easier for us to send arms to Taiwan, quicker, while also creating a process for our closest allies and partners to do the same,” said US Senator Pete Ricketts, who introduced the bill.
The US has a US$21 billion backlog in arms sales to Taiwan, he said.
If passed, the act would require the US secretary of state to establish an expedited decisionmaking process for third-party transfers of defense articles and services from NATO member countries to “NATO Plus” members and Taiwan, it said.
It would also shorten the time frame to formally notify the US Congress of arms sales and raise the threshold for the amount requiring notification.
Under the act, the president would need to formally notify Congress 30 days before issuing a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for a Foreign Military Sales-administered sale, enhancement or upgrading of major defense equipment valued at US$14 million or more.
Meanwhile, the Taiwan International Solidarity Act would require the US to “oppose any attempts by the [PRC] to resolve Taiwan’s status by distorting the decisions, language, policies or procedures of any such organization.”
UN Resolution 2758 of 1971, which declared the PRC as the only lawful representative of China at the UN, did not take a position on cross-strait relations nor did it address the issue of Taiwan’s representation, the bill states.
“The [US] opposes any initiative that seeks to change Taiwan’s status without the consent of the people of Taiwan,” it says.
The Deter PRC Aggression Against Taiwan Act would “develop economic tools” and prepare the US to take immediate action to impose sanctions on the PRC if it were to take military or non-military action against Taiwan.
The act would allow the US to act in the event of PRC attempts to overthrow or dismantle the Taiwanese government, occupy any Taiwanese territory, violate Taiwan’s territorial integrity or take any significant military action, such as cyberattacks, a naval blockade or the seizure of outlying islands.
It would require a PRC sanctions task force to leverage sanctions and other economic tools targeting the PRC’s financial and industrial sectors, with annual reports and coordination with allies to maximize impact and mitigate economic fallout.
Under the act, the US and its allies would also coordinate actions to provide economic support to Taiwan and other countries threatened by the PRC.
Finally, the United States-Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act would support the seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and counter efforts by the PRC to sever such ties.
The US “has an interest in ensuring countries in Latin America and the Caribbean can make sovereign foreign policy decisions free from coercion or financial manipulation by the [PRC],” the bill states.
The act would also “deepen coordination with Taiwan on its development and economic engagement in the Western Hemisphere,” it states.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
ISOLATION: The outposts would serve as support and backup bases, forcing US forces to either face China head-on or reroute, increasing travel time and operational costs China’s outposts in the South China Sea could be used to delay and constrain foreign forces during a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, giving Beijing a critical window to carry out amphibious landing and blockade operations, a report said. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) forward operating bases on islands and reclaimed features in the South China Sea could delay foreign forces long enough for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to secure a key 48-to-72-hour window in the Taiwan Strait, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council found. The report, conducted by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, examined
RSS