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
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