A bill introduced in the US Senate on Friday would make US policy on arms sales to Taiwan more consistent, a Taiwanese defense expert said on Saturday.
The bill, dubbed the Taiwan Weapons Exports Act, would “fast-track weapons to Taiwan” by expediting congressional approval and eliminating administrative roadblocks amid increasing tensions between Taiwan and China, US Senator Josh Hawley, who proposed the bill, said in a statement.
In particular, the bill seeks to redesignate Taiwan from Country Group A:5 to Country Group A:6 so that it can receive a strategic trade authorization license exception under the Export Administration Regulations, the statement said.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Other countries in Country Group A:5 include NATO member states Australia, India, Japan and South Korea, the statement said.
Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), an analyst at the government-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the proposed legislation would make the US’ policy of arms sales to Taiwan more consistent.
US arms sales to Taiwan are currently reviewed by the US Department of State on a case-by-case basis and the time spent on each sale can differ greatly, he said.
The bill, if passed and signed into law, would bring the review process in line with that for NATO members and other US allies, Su said, adding that it would also prevent disruptions in sales of defense products to Taiwan due to political factors.
Meanwhile, Chieh Chung (揭仲), an associate research fellow at the National Policy Foundation in Taipei, said that the bill would also shorten the congressional review of US arms sales to Taiwan from 30 days to 15 days.
Arms sales to major US allies, such as NATO members, Israel, Japan and South Korea, require approval from the US Congress if a single deal is estimated to cost more than US$25 million, Chieh said, adding that congressional review takes about 15 days.
Any US arms sales to Taiwan worth more than US$14 million currently require congressional approval, with the review process taking up to 30 days, he said.
When it comes to the sale of major defense articles and strategic technologies, the US government tends to prioritize major allies, Chieh said.
The proposed legislation would pave the way for Taiwan to acquire advanced weapons and technologies like other major US allies, he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday thanked Hawley for his consistent support of Taiwan, saying in a statement that it would closely follow the proposed bill’s progress.
Taiwan would continue working with the US Congress and US President Joe Biden’s administration to further improve bilateral ties and contribute to stability in the Indo-Pacific region, it added.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS