The US House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill laying out the country’s sweeping national defense policy and budget for next year, including provisions calling for military cooperation with Taiwan.
The US$876.8 billion budgeted for the 2024 fiscal year under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) narrowly passed the House with a 219-210 vote.
US Representative Mike Rogers — chairman of the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, who led a congressional delegation to Taiwan late last month and met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) — applauded the passage of the bill.
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“The threat we face from China is the most pressing national security threat we’ve faced in decades — the FY24 NDAA is laser-focused on countering China. The FY24 NDAA protects our homeland from threats by investing in a stronger missile defense and modernizing our nuclear deterrent,” Rogers said in a statement.
This bill includes provisions proposed by the US House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in its Ten for Taiwan report, a set of recommendations to enhance Taipei’s deterrence capabilities, the committee said.
The act supports greater military coordination between the US and Taiwan, including conducting exercises, developing joint concepts of operation and tactics, techniques, and procedures, and other security measures to help Taiwan meet its self-defense needs, it said.
The NDAA addresses a backlog in weapons deliveries to Taiwan by directing the secretary of defense, in consultation with the secretary of state, to submit a report evaluating the provision of defense articles, services and training requested by Taipei, it said.
The act also aims to expedite the delivery of asymmetric defense capabilities to Taiwan by fencing travel for the secretary of defense office until the US Department of Defense submits a plan to provide Harpoon missiles set for demilitarization or in deep stowage to Taiwan or other security partners with a presidential drawdown authority, the committee said.
Under the NDAA, the secretary of defense is required to engage the Ministry of Defense in Taipei to bolster cybersecurity cooperation, it said.
The act also prohibits the defense department from creating, procuring or displaying any map that depicts Taiwan as part of the territory of China, a provision proposed by US Representative Tom Tiffany.
“All of us know that Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of communist China. Any claims to the contrary are simply false,” Tiffany said in a statement. “This amendment will require that the maps we use reflect a simple reality: China is China, and Taiwan is Taiwan.”
Rogers said that the NDAA has been a critical part of US national security for more than 60 years, providing the US military with the resources and authority it needs to defend the country.
“This legislation is vital as our nation is faced with unprecedented threats from our adversaries,” he said.
It also boosts innovation and revitalizes the industrial base to ensure it can deliver the systems the US needs to prevail in any conflict, he said.
A group of Taiwanese lawmakers visiting Washington yesterday welcomed the US Congress’ support, saying it would bolster Taiwan’s defense.
The US Senate is scheduled to review its version of the bill next week.
Typically, after the House and Senate pass their own versions of the NDAA, they negotiate a reconciliation of the bill to send to the president to sign into law before the end of the year.
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