US Senator Hawley submits bill seeking $3 bn annually for Taiwan's arsenal to deter China

Amid China’s growing military aggression, US Senator Josh Hawley introduced the ‘Arm Taiwan Act of 2021’ in a bid to strengthen Taipei’s defences against a possible Chinese invasion. According to a press release, Hawley’s new bill calls for allocating $3 billion annually for a new Taiwan Security Assistance Initiative to accelerate the island’s deployment of asymmetric defence capabilities. It also conditions future conventional arms sales on Taiwan’s progress preparing its military and fielding the weapons required to defeat China’s war plans. 

“Taiwan is in grave danger, but the future is not yet written,” the US Senator said, adding that “the Arm Taiwan Act will ensure Taiwan has the asymmetric defenses it needs to deter a Chinese invasion – so long as Taiwan is prepared to make the difficult choices required to defend itself in the hard years ahead.”

“We should do everything in our power to help Taiwan urgently strengthen its defenses. If China’s recent actions have shown the world anything, it’s that Beijing will stop at nothing in its quest to dominate the Indo-Pacific and then the world. We must not let them succeed,” Hawley said. 

As per the press note, the ‘Arm Taiwan Act of 2021’ comes amid a surge in Chinese military threats and warning by the US and Taiwanese officials that China may try to invade the island in the next few years. It read that the military balance in the Taiwan Strait is rapidly deteriorating, resulting in growing concern that China may conclude that it can, or actually be able to, invade and seize control of the island in the forthcoming future. 

Tensions over Taiwan 

Tensions between China and Taiwan have gained momentum since 1 October after Beijing flew over 100 fighter jets into Taiwan's Air Defence zone. This was followed by the latter's dependence on the US for military support. Self-ruled Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly expressed willingness to remain independent against the Chinese goal of 'reunification'. 

On the other hand, the US and China have remained geopolitical rivals for decades and relations between them have further frayed due to Beijing's aggressive claims of sovereignty along the South China Sea fuelled by Chinese engagement in testing high-tech projectiles. China has repeatedly asked America to not only recognise the “sensitivity” of the China-Taiwan issue but also warned Washington to “abide by the one-China principle”. Previously as well, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin had said that Beijing has “no room” for compromise on issues involving its core interests. “The US should act and speak cautiously on the Taiwan issue,” he had said. 

(Image: AP)