U.S. House Passes Annual Defense Bill with Strengthened Pro-Taiwan Measures
On December 11, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25 NDAA), which enhances support for Taiwan, including the authorization of US$300 million in military aid.
U.S. Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI), chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, said it was a “critically important bill” that authorizes a “Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative” to enable Taiwan to maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities.
Under the Act, the U.S. Department of Defense is authorized to earmark up to US$300 million next year to support the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. This program, modeled after the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, allows the U.S. to procure military equipment directly from private companies for its allies or partners.
With the concurrence of the U.S. Secretary of State, the U.S. Secretary of Defense may provide Taiwan with defense articles and defense services from U.S. inventories and supply defense articles to foreign partners to replenish comparable stocks that those governments have provided to Taiwan.
The Act would allow the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of State to enhance Taiwan’s military capabilities in key areas such as anti-armor, uncrewed aerial vehicles, long-range precision weapons, cyberdefense, electronic warfare and counter-electronic warfare capabilities, and integrated air and missile defense systems.
It also authorizes the supply of radars, anti-ship missiles, secure communications equipment, ammunition, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support, and critical combat training.
The Act expresses a sense of Congress calling for the invitation of Taiwan’s naval forces to participate in next year’s Rim of the Pacific exercise.
The NDAA also incorporates the “BOLSTER Act,” which would foster “coordinated plans” between the U.S. and its European partners to impose sanctions and other economic measures in response to any attempts by China to overthrow Taiwan’s government.
Similar measures could also be imposed if China occupies any territory controlled or administered by Taiwan, imposes a naval blockade around Taiwan, or launches cyberattacks that threaten civilian or military infrastructure in Taiwan.
The U.S. and European countries should publicly and repeatedly emphasize the differences between their respective “One China” policies and Beijing’s “One China” principle.
They should also counter the PRC’s propaganda and false narratives that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 recognizes the PRC territorial claims to Taiwan, according to the BOLSTER Act.
References:
[1] Focus Taiwan
[2] Taipei Times
[3] Taipei Times
First Agreement Under U.S.-Taiwan Trade Initiative Takes Effect
The first agreement under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade officially came into effect on December 10, marking a “significant milestone” in bilateral trade relations, according to Taiwan’s Office of Trade Negotiations.
The agreement between the United States and Taiwan covers commitments to customs administration and trade facilitation, regulatory practices, rules for running domestic service industries, anti-corruption, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) also issued a statement on December 9 confirming that the initial agreement had come into force.
“We thank our Taiwan partners for helping us reach this important milestone. The entry into force of the first agreement under our 21st Century Trade Initiative represents an important step forward in strengthening the U.S.-Taiwan economic and trade relationship,” U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said.
The USTR previously submitted a certification to the U.S. Congress stating that Taiwan had taken the measures necessary to comply with its obligations under the agreement, the statement said.
The U.S. and Taiwan have been making progress on a second agreement under the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade. That agreement would address areas including labor, the environment, and agriculture, and negotiations are ongoing, according to the statement.
Taiwan’s trade office said the initial Taiwan-U.S. 21st Century Trade Initiative agreement had received unanimous support from Taiwan and the U.S. Congress.
The U.S. Congress approved it without objection in July, giving the agreement the status of an administrative agreement. That status made the legal basis for economic and trade exchanges between Taiwan and the U.S. more solid, the trade office said.
To ensure that both nations can implement the agreement, the U.S. Congress also approved the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade First Agreement Implementation Act in July 2023 following the passage of the first agreement, it said.
The first agreement under the initiative is an important “building block” toward a future free-trade agreement, the Office of Trade Negotiations said in May 2023, calling it the “most comprehensive” deal agreed between the two trading partners since 1979.