The US Congress was expected to start voting on a massive military policy bill including authorization of up to US$10 billion in security assistance and fast-tracked weapons procurement for Taiwan.
The compromise version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) does not include some controversial provisions of Taiwan legislation lawmakers proposed this year, including sanctions in the event of “significant escalation in aggression” against Taiwan by China, or a proposal that Taiwan be treated as a “major non-NATO ally.”
Beijing responded angrily when the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved broader Taiwan legislation in September, despite concern within US President Joe Biden’s administration that the bill could go too far in heightening tensions with China.
Photo: AP
The Senate and US House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services unveiled the NDAA late on Tuesday.
The US$858 billion military policy bill is expected to pass Congress and be signed into law this month.
The “Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act” included in the NDAA authorizes appropriations for military grant assistance for Taiwan of up to US$2 billion per year from next year through 2027, if the US secretary of state certifies that Taiwan increased its defense spending.
It includes a new foreign military financing loan guarantee authority and other measures to fast-track Taiwan’s weapons procurement, as well as the creation of a training program to improve Taiwan’s defense.
“Taiwan’s democracy remains the beating heart to our Indo-Pacific strategy, and the depth and strength of our commitment to the people of Taiwan is stronger than ever,” said US Senator Bob Menendez, chairman of the foreign relations committee and sponsor of the Taiwan legislation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its gratitude for the “continued strong support for Taiwan’s security,” adding that it looked forward to the legislation being passed.
China staged military exercises near Taiwan in August after a visit to Taipei by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and has continued its military activities, although on a reduced scale.
Nine Chinese military aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and another two entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone between 6am on Wednesday and 6am yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Over the 24 hours, 27 aircraft and four naval vessels belonging to the People’s Liberation Army were active in the vicinity of Taiwan, with nine of the aircraft crossing the median line, which for many years functioned as a de facto maritime border, the defense ministry said in a statement.
The armed forces have tasked combat air patrol aircraft, navy vessels and land-based missile systems in response to the incursions, it added.
Earlier this week, the US Department of State approved the potential sale of US$428 million in aircraft parts to Taiwan to help its air force, which is strained from repeatedly intercepting Chinese jets operating around Taiwan.
Passed every year since 1961, the NDAA addresses everything from soldiers’ pay increases and how many aircraft can be purchased to strategies for addressing geopolitical threats.
The compromise version of the NDAA followed months of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House.
Additional reporting by CNA
Death row inmate Huang Lin-kai (黃麟凱), who was convicted for the double murder of his former girlfriend and her mother, is to be executed at the Taipei Detention Center tonight, the Ministry of Justice announced. Huang, who was a military conscript at the time, was convicted for the rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend, surnamed Wang (王), and the murder of her mother, after breaking into their home on Oct. 1, 2013. Prosecutors cited anger over the breakup and a dispute about money as the motives behind the double homicide. This is the first time that Minister of Justice Cheng Ming-chien (鄭銘謙) has
BITTERLY COLD: The inauguration ceremony for US president-elect Donald Trump has been moved indoors due to cold weather, with the new venue lacking capacity A delegation of cross-party lawmakers from Taiwan, led by Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), for the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump, would not be able to attend the ceremony, as it is being moved indoors due to forecasts of intense cold weather in Washington tomorrow. The inauguration ceremony for Trump and US vice president-elect JD Vance is to be held inside the Capitol Rotunda, which has a capacity of about 2,000 people. A person familiar with the issue yesterday said although the outdoor inauguration ceremony has been relocated, Taiwan’s legislative delegation has decided to head off to Washington as scheduled. The delegation
TRANSPORT CONVENIENCE: The new ticket gates would accept a variety of mobile payment methods, and buses would be installed with QR code readers for ease of use New ticketing gates for the Taipei metro system are expected to begin service in October, allowing users to swipe with cellphones and select credit cards partnered with Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC), the company said on Tuesday. TRTC said its gates in use are experiencing difficulty due to their age, as they were first installed in 2007. Maintenance is increasingly expensive and challenging as the manufacturing of components is halted or becoming harder to find, the company said. Currently, the gates only accept EasyCard, iPass and electronic icash tickets, or one-time-use tickets purchased at kiosks, the company said. Since 2023, the company said it
Another wave of cold air would affect Taiwan starting from Friday and could evolve into a continental cold mass, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Temperatures could drop below 10°C across Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday next week, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. Seasonal northeasterly winds could bring rain, he said. Meanwhile, due to the continental cold mass and radiative cooling, it would be cold in northern and northeastern Taiwan today and tomorrow, according to the CWA. From last night to this morning, temperatures could drop below 10°C in northern Taiwan, it said. A thin coat of snow
RSS