US Senator Josh Hawley on Thursday introduced a bill that he said would “fast-track weapons to Taiwan” amid increasing tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
Hawley said in a statement that the Taiwan weapons exports act would seek to hasten the delivery of critical weapons to Taiwan by expediting congressional approval and eliminating administrative roadblocks.
He said the bill is critical to ensure Taiwan has the weapons it needs to defend itself from a possible Chinese invasion, including naval mines, anti-tank missiles and portable air defense systems.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The bill seeks to change Taiwan’s designation under the US Export Administration Regulations to “Country Group A:5” from “A:6” for the purpose of receiving a strategic trade authorization license exception.
Other countries categorized as A:5 include NATO member states, Australia, India, Japan and South Korea, the statement said.
The regulations allow the US government to impose export controls to protect national security interests and promote foreign policy objectives, the US International Trade Administration Web site says.
Hawley’s bill also seeks to expedite licensing approval of arms sales to Taiwan, the statement said.
“The [US President Joe] Biden administration waited for Russia to invade before surging lethal aid to Ukraine,” Hawley said in the statement, adding that the “mistake” could not be repeated in the Indo-Pacific region. “That’s why it is so important to fast-track weapons to Taiwan now, while Taiwan still has time to marshal its defenses and deter a Chinese invasion.”
The senator last year introduced two bills that he said were part of efforts to “deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan and strengthen US-Taiwan relations” — the Taiwan defense act and the arm Taiwan act.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked Hawley for his support for Taiwan and the nation’s security, adding that it would carefully monitor the progress of the bill.
The ministry would continue to work closely with the US government to enhance the friendship between the countries and help promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, it said.
Additional reporting by Yang Cheng-yu
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 8:31am today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was located in Hualien County, about 70.3 kilometers south southwest of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 23.2km, according to the administration. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the CWA said.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
RSS