The US Senate Committee on Armed Services on Thursday released an executive summary of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 with a provision asking the Pentagon to establish a “regional contingency stockpile” of arms for Taiwan.
The committee voted 22-3 to advance the US$923.3 billion bill to the Senate floor, hours before a competing version passed the US House of Representatives.
The US Department of Defense would be required to ensure Taiwan is aligned with the US National Defense Industrial Strategy to increase global defense production, secure supply chains and meet Taiwan’s defense needs, the executive summary says.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Under a section on “countering Chinese aggression,” the summary says the Pentagon must prepare a report on the implications of Beijing-Moscow military cooperation on the US’ national security and propose a transregional strategy to reveal the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) “malign activities.”
Each “geographic combatant command” of the US armed forces would be required “to designate a lead component to coordinate transregional efforts to counter malign activities by the PLA,” it says.
The bill would also create an “expanded competition office” to counter “gray zone” economic activities by adversaries, and authorize an additional US$100 million budget for the US Indo-Pacific Command Joint Training Team, the summary says.
The US House of Representatives at noon on Friday passed its version of the NDAA, requiring the Pentagon to report on efforts to bolster defense industry cooperation with Taiwan.
The US House bill would also require the US Federal Communications Commission to ban uncrewed aerial vehicles produced by China’s Shenzhen DJI Science and Technology Co (大疆創新) from US skies.
The House and Senate are pushing to ban drones from China-based companies DJI and Autel Robotics Co (道通智能航空技) after reports linked the two companies to the Chinese Communist Party and the PLA, the Hill newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The US Department of Defense, which is prevented by legislation from buying Chinese drones, previously expressed concerns over the companies, it said.
The Senate committee and the House would next negotiate and pass a final version of the NDAA, which would be sent to the president to be signed into law.
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