Add Taiwan to “NATO Plus” Group: USCC Report
The United States should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) said on November 19 in its annual report to Congress.
In the report’s chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to a designation held by Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
At a congressional hearing on November 19, USCC member and former Pentagon official Randall Schriver said Taiwan’s inclusion in NATO Plus would add it to “the most elite category of security assistance partners” and “ease the process of export control review on potential transfers to Taiwan.”
The commission also recommended that Congress create a “Taiwan Allies Fund” to provide foreign assistance to countries with an official diplomatic relationship with Taiwan. “Countries that no longer have a diplomatic relationship with Taiwan would immediately be ineligible for this funding,” the commission said.
In a section on Taiwan’s implications for the U.S., the report said Taiwan “remains a key flashpoint for conflict with China,” particularly as China intensifies pressure on Taiwan, raising the risk of a miscalculation.
Nonetheless, the U.S. faces challenges in rapidly arming Taiwan because of defense manufacturing limitations and extended delivery timelines, the commission said.
As a result, “Taiwan is unlikely to be armed to a sufficient degree to deter or counter China from invading on its own, and so it will rely on the United States to provide for its deterrence as the PLA [the Chinese People’s Liberation Army] continues to approach its 2027 and mid-century modernization goals.”
“Even if it can be deterred from outright invasion, China continues to build the capability to quarantine or blockade the island, which represents a unique challenge for U.S. and Taiwan leaders.”
Taiwan remains “by far the most dominant” in advanced semiconductor production. Any disruption to Taiwan’s output would have “major ramifications for the global economy and — more importantly — U.S. national and economic security,” the report said.
The USCC was created by the U.S. Congress in 2000 and is required to submit to Congress an annual report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the U.S. and China, and to provide recommendations for legislative and administrative actions.
References:
[1] Focus Taiwan
[2] Taipei Times
Taiwan’s APEC Envoy Invites Biden to Visit Taiwan
On November 15, Taiwan’s envoy to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Lin Hsin-i, who represented Taiwan’s President William Lai, chatted with U.S. President Joe Biden during the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue and invited him to visit Taiwan.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Lin spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing U.S. president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taiwan and the U.S. over the past four years.
Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said.
The annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting is the most important event for the 21-member regional trade bloc, with the heads of government from countries around the Pacific Rim tending to hold talks on the sidelines.
The APEC is one of the few intergovernmental pacts in which Taiwan has full membership, but it still has to send special envoys in place of presidents to the annual leaders’ meeting due to pressure from China.
Earlier on November 14, Lin held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of the leaders’ meeting.
The two discussed ways to continue strengthening bilateral partnerships and ensuring regional peace and stability, and exchanged views on issues such as promoting the development of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the region, MOFA said.
Blinken also posted a photo on social media of the two shaking hands, and wrote that their talks touched upon “our growing economic relationship and our enduring shared commitment to foster an open, dynamic, and peaceful Indo-Pacific.”