Taiwan could receive foreign military financing from the US for the first time if Washington seeks to hasten the process of providing the nation with military equipment, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
Citing two people familiar with the plan, the newspaper reported that the US Office of Management and Budget is to include funding for Taiwan in a supplemental request as part of an effort to accelerate the provision of weapons.
The funding would be listed as part of a supplemental budget request for Ukraine that is pending congressional approval, it reported.
Photo: CNA
If passed by the US Congress, Taiwan could for the first time receive arms paid for by US taxpayers.
“The White House is expected to submit the request this month,” the report said.
Asked by reporters about potential foreign military financing, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Thursday declined to comment directly, but reiterated the US’ commitment to furnishing Taiwan with necessary defensive equipment under the Taiwan Relations Act.
Various agencies might implement this commitment and would explore appropriate ways of doing so, Kirby said.
The request comes on the heels of a White House announcement that the US would for the first time supply Taiwan with US$345 million in weapons under a system known as the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which has been used to send weapons to Ukraine.
The Financial Times reported that the decision to include funding for Taiwan in the supplemental budget and to use the drawdown authority underscores rising urgency to help Taipei.
The US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) says that the US Congress can empower the US president to allot US$1 billion to provide Taiwan with aid in the form of defensive equipment, education and training.
The NDAA would also allow the US Department of State to provide up to US$2 billion per year in foreign military financing until 2027.
“This would be a monumental step that signals how far the US government is now willing to go to accelerate deterrence across the Taiwan Strait,” said Eric Sayers, managing director of the Washington-based Beacon Global Strategies, an advisory firm.
Additional reporting by CNA
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