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U.S. defense bill backs enhancing security cooperation with Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

2019/06/28 10:58:24

Washington, June 27 (CNA) The U.S. Senate on Thursday adopted provisions for enhancing the defense and security cooperation between the United States and Taiwan, particularly on arms sales, as part of an annual defense policy bill.

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020, which was passed in an 86-8 vote in the Senate, authorizes US$750 billion in spending for defense programs at the Pentagon and other agencies.

Section 1257 of the bill expresses the sense of the Senate that the Taiwan Relations Act and the "Six Assurances" are both cornerstones of U.S. relations with Taiwan.

It states that the U.S. should strengthen defense and security cooperation with Taiwan to support the development of capable, ready, and modern defense forces necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.

Also, the U.S. should strongly support the acquisition by Taiwan of defense articles and services through foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, and industrial cooperation, with an emphasis on anti-ship, coastal defense, anti-armor, air defense, undersea warfare, advanced command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR), and resilient command and control capabilities that support the asymmetric defense strategy of Taiwan, according to the bill.

It says the U.S. should continue efforts to improve the predictability of its arms sales to Taiwan by ensuring timely review of and response to requests by Taiwan for defense articles and services.

The U.S. secretary of defense should promote policies concerning exchanges that enhance the security of Taiwan, including opportunities with Taiwan for practical training and military exercises, and exchanges between senior defense officials and general officers as well as between junior officers and senior enlisted personnel of the United States and Taiwan, the bill stipulates.

It calls for an expansion of U.S.-Taiwan cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The bill also recommends that the secretary of defense consider supporting the visit of a U.S. hospital ship to Taiwan as part of the annual "Pacific Partnership" mission, as well as the participation of Taiwan medical vessels in appropriate exercises with the U.S., in order to improve disaster response planning and preparedness.

In addition, it says the secretary of defense should "continue regular transits of United States Navy vessels through the Taiwan Strait, commend the armed forces of France for their April 6, 2019, legal transit of the Taiwan Strait, and encourage allies and partners to follow suit in conducting such transits, in order to demonstrate the commitment of the United States and its allies and partners to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows."

The bill will not become law until it is passed by both the House and Senate in identical form and then signed by the president.

(By Chiang Chin-yeh and Y.F. Low)
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