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US House passes bill to spend US$12 billion in military aid to Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

12/09/2022 10:09 AM

Washington, Dec.8 (CNA) The United States House of Representatives on Thursday passed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that authorizes up to US$12 billion in grants and loans to Taiwan over the next five years to buy U.S. weapons.

The bill passed the Democratic-controlled House on a 350 to 80 vote. It is expected to clear the Senate next week before being sent to the White House for U.S. President Joe Biden to sign into law.

The act would authorize up to US$2 billion in annual grants from 2023 to 2027 and an additional US$2 billion in loans for Taiwan to use to bolster its military capabilities with weapons from the U.S.

It also authorizes a regional contingency stockpile for Taiwan that consists of munitions and other appropriate defense articles costing up to US$100 million a year for use in the event of a conflict.

The bill gives Taiwan the same treatment as major non-NATO allies, on NATO's southern and southeastern flanks, in terms of priority to obtain "excess defense articles" from the United States.

The act also recommends the U.S. administration to invite Taiwan to attend the next version of the U.S.-organized Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), a set regional military drill, in 2024.

The bill states that the U.S. Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall prioritize and expedite the processing of requests from Taiwan under the Foreign Military Sales program, and may not delay the processing of requests for bundling purposes.

The bill was proposed following increased tensions across the Taiwan Strait in recent years and growing concerns in Washington and Taipei that China's military buildup has far exceeded that of Taiwan.

However, the percentage of Taiwan's GDP spent on weapons purchases has not changed much under the current Taiwanese administration, compared to the last administration, despite frequent mentions of the threat from China. While purchasing U.S.-made weapons each year, the Taiwanese government is also focusing on increasing the manufacturing of Taiwan-made munitions.

(By Chiang Chin-yeh and Shih Hsiu-chuan)

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