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U.S. defense bill with provisions supporting Taiwan becomes law

ROC Central News Agency

01/02/2021 12:43 PM

Washington, Jan. 1 (CNA) A United States defense policy bill containing sections supportive of Taiwan was passed into law on Friday, as the Senate voted to override the veto of Donald Trump for the first time during his presidency.

The Senate voted 81-13 to approve the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), clearing the two-thirds majority required to override a presidential veto. The House of Representatives voted 322-87 to override the veto on Monday.

Trump had vetoed the bill on Dec. 23, after lawmakers refused to include provisions repealing legal liability protections for social media companies.

The US$741 billion legislation contains two sections which specifically deal with Taiwan, while also establishing an initiative to bolster the U.S. military's presence in the Asia Pacific region. The first, Section 1260, reaffirms that the Taiwan Relations Act and the "Six Assurances" provided by the U.S. to Taiwan in 1982 are "the foundation for United States-Taiwan relations."

Section 1260 also requires the U.S. secretary of state to make an annual briefing to Congress on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan within 45 days of the bill's passage.

Similarly, the section states that the U.S. secretary of defense must brief Congress within 180 days of the bill's passage on the feasibility of establishing a medical security partnership with Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense.

Meanwhile, Section 9724 of the bill calls on the U.S. to ensure that Taiwanese nationals do not face discrimination when seeking employment at international financial institutions, such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund.

In another portion of the bill, which does not directly refer to Taiwan but could have implications for the region, Congress allocates US$2.235 billion to the U.S. Department of Defense for the establishment of a "Pacific Deterrence Initiative." The bill states that the initiative will comprise activities to "enhance the United States deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region, assure allies and partners, and increase probability and readiness in the Indo-Pacific region."

The Taiwan Relations Act was enacted in 1979 to maintain commercial, cultural and other unofficial relations between the U.S. and Taiwan after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. The TRA also requires the U.S. "to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character."

The Six Assurances were given by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982 and include pledges not to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan, not to hold prior consultations with China regarding arms sales to Taiwan, and not to play a mediation role between the two rivals.

They also include assurances that the U.S. will not revise the Taiwan Relations Act or pressure Taipei to enter into negotiations with Beijing.

(By Chiang Chin-yeh and Matthew Mazzetta)

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