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U.S. Senate committee passes 2024 NDAA with Taiwan provisions

ROC Central News Agency

06/24/2023 01:39 PM

Washington, June 23 (CNA) The United States Senate Committee on Armed Services passed a bill Friday that lays out the country's national defence policy and budget for the next year, including provisions calling for military cooperation with Taiwan.

The US$886.3 billion budgeted for the 2024 fiscal year under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was approved by the armed services committee with a 24-1 vote Friday and put through to the Senate for approval.

An executive summary provided by the committee states that the U.S. will seek to strengthen its posture in the Indo-Pacific region, in view of "long-term strategic competition with China and Russia."

Part of that effort includes the U.S. establishing "a comprehensive training, advising, and institutional capacity-building program for the military forces of Taiwan," the bill states.

At the same time, the bill calls for "engagement with appropriate officials of Taiwan for the purpose of expanding cooperation on military cybersecurity activities."

The passage of the bill at the Senate committee followed a similar pattern to corresponding legislation in the House, with the bill passing through the House of Representatives' armed services committee with a 58-1 vote Thursday.

According to the proposal, known as the "Chairman's Mark," put forth on June 12 by the committee's chairman Mike Rogers, the House version of the bill encourages joint military exercises between the U.S. and Taiwan, as well as exchanges among officials on both sides.

In addition, the bill urges the U.S. government to support Taiwan in acquiring defense articles and services "through foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, and industrial cooperation" to help build up its asymmetric strategies.

The bill now awaits approval on the House floor.

Once the Senate and House of Representatives approve their own versions of the NDAA, they will have to negotiate the two versions, produce a final bill and pass that bill in each respective body, before the bill can be signed into law by the president.

(By Teng Pei-ju)

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