The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes legislation that will give unprecedented US military support to Taiwan, a step that Beijing will view as a major provocation and the US moving further away from the one-China policy.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said including the new support for Taiwan in the NDAA will “dramatically enhance the United States’ defense partnership with Taiwan by establishing, for the first time ever, a specific defense modernization program for Taiwan.”
The Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act (TERA) will authorize $2 billion in annual military aid for five years. The aid is in the form of Foreign Military Financing, a State Department program that gives foreign governments money to purchase US arms.
The US has sold weapons to Taiwan since severing diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979, but it has never financed the purchases. Under the legislation, Taiwan will be allowed to use more than 15% of the FMF funding to procure weapons domestically.
The TERA includes $1 billion in annual presidential drawdown authority, which will allow the US to send weapons to Taiwan directly from Pentagon stockpiles. The Biden administration has sent the majority of military aid to Ukraine using this authority, and there are members of Congress who believe the US should be arming Taiwan just as urgently.
The TERA also puts aside $100 million annually to create a “regional contingency stockpile” for Taiwan. Besides the funding, the legislation calls for more military cooperation between the US and Taiwan and looks to increase Taipei’s participation in international organizations.
The TERA was called the Taiwan Policy Act (TPA), a piece of legislation that was advanced by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September. Some of the more provocative aspects of the TPA were stripped out of the TERA, including giving Taiwan the benefits of being a “major non-NATO ally” and requiring sanctions in the event of Chinese aggression against Taiwan.
After the TPA was advanced by the panel, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) warned in an op-ed that such support for Taiwan, coupled with President Biden’s pledges to defend the island, which breaks from strategic ambiguity, makes war more likely.
“Preparation for war may very well be the Chinese response to the TPA and strategic clarity. If the United States announces an ironclad commitment to defend Taiwan prior to establishing the capabilities to do so, China may invade before the United States can significantly bolster Taiwan’s military,” Paul wrote.
The NDAA was passed by the House on Thursday and is expected to be brought to the floor of the Senate next week, and then it will be sent to President Biden’s desk. In the meantime, the State Department this week approved a $425 million arms sale for Taiwan for spare aircraft parts to support the island’s F-16 fighters, C-130 transport planes, and other US-supplied weapons systems.
The dice are thrown; Now the US is committed to marching through Russia, Iran and Afghanistan to attack China from the inland side as well as the sea.
“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you…”
Another parasitic country to waste more of our stolen wages on is the current foreign policy from Wash.
I am given pause to wonder how the US got its head so far up its a–?
It’s a World War after all, it’s a World Wide War…!
Look to Europe, Germany, look at Sweden and Finland, they must be getting paid for that, they throw their nations under the train, not just a bus. Ukraine is genocide the Biden/Zelenky and all the scum around them do against the people. Europe will be next if Russia does not save them.
Well said Renate!
US Government: “Here’s some money, now buy our weapons…” It’s a win-win type of situation…
By selling all of these weapons to Ukraine they are condemning an entire country to the poor house for as many years one can imagine. Too bad there won’t be anyone alive to collect. Same goes for their oncoming war with China.
Three billion a year. Folks, we have another Israel!
I wonder if they kept it under $4 billion as not to make our number one parasite jealous.
It is what one can expect from Menendez, I wonder how much he gets paid for it.
I am not usually big on prfanity except when I play Golfr. However I must say that I feel like these Mother Fuckers are well on the way to killing humanity and the Planet for money and power not the advancement and survival of mankind.I can’t see how it can be stopped at this point.To many ignorant,racist Capitalist cock suckers are in charge
Capitalist stock suckers.
I would like to believe that prayers for Putin’s success would help, but I am not a believer.
I do pray all the MF all go to hell !!!
NEOCONs provoking another country step by step.
If the Center for Democracy (US State Department) can’t overthrow a government then send in the Military Industrial Complex and provoke a proxy war.
Another Ukraine in the making
The year is 2022 and we are still dealing with Primitive WARFARE. Our Space Capsule successfully (and thankfully) landed in the water, wow!!! WOW! By now we should have space vehicles that go up and come down, repeatedly, without having to splash in the damn water… We are primitive!
This must be the most stupid government the nation ever had. They can’t get more stupid, a senile president and incompetence and corruption and scandals where you look. Sickening.
Well said Renate!