The United States, which accuses China of stepping up military coercion against Tawan, is its main backer and arms supplier, a growing sticking point between Washington and Beijing, whose relations are already at their lowest in recent years. decades.
The Senators’ Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 threatens harsh sanctions against China for any aggression against Taiwan, and would provide $4.5 billion in foreign military funding over the next four years, while designating Taiwan as a “major non-military ally.” NATO”, according to the text.
The sponsors, Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Democrat Bob Menendez and Republican Lindsey Graham, said it would be the most comprehensive overhaul of US policy toward Taiwan since the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 – the foundation of American engagement with the island since Washington opened relations with China that year.
“As Beijing continues to seek to constrain and isolate Taiwan, there should be no doubt or ambiguity about the depth and strength of our resolve to stand with the people of Taiwan and their democracy,” Menendez said in a statement. a press release
According to him, the bill sends a clear message: China must not make the same mistakes as Russia by invading Ukraine.
“The danger will only increase if we show weakness in the face of China’s threats and aggression towards Taiwan,” Graham said. Senate aides said the two men hoped the committee would vote to send the bill to the Senate as early as next week.
Washington and Beijing have remained firm on their opposing views regarding Taiwan’s right to govern itself.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed legislation.
UNEASY
A US official familiar with the bill said some of its elements have made President Joe Biden’s administration and the State Department uneasy over fears it will antagonize China.
Any legislation would also have to go through the House of Representatives, and another expansive bill to boost US competitiveness against China has languished in Congress for months.
The White House and State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
If made law in its current form, the bill would “prioritize and expedite” arms sales to Taiwan until Congress determines that the threat to the island has significantly diminished, and would instruct the Secretary the Defense to establish a training program to increase the interoperability of the Taiwanese and American armed forces.
The US president would be required to impose sanctions on Chinese officials, including his president, in response to a “significant escalation of actions hostile to or against Taiwan”, such as the undermining or overthrow of the government of Taiwan or the occupation of the island.
It would amend parts of the law on relations with Taiwan, in particular by adding that the provisions relating to American weapons destined for Taiwan must be “conducive to deterring acts of aggression” from China.
He would also push the State Department to seek negotiations to rename Taiwan Washington’s de facto embassy to the Taiwan Representative Office, and elevate Washington’s role as Taiwan’s top official by requiring Senate confirmation for the position.
Beijing has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe said last week that the Chinese military “would have no other choice. than to fight at any price and crush any attempt at independence by Tawan.”