The Presidential Office has thanked the US Senate for including provisions that support Taiwan in its version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The US Senate passed the act Thursday.
It reaffirms the Taiwan Relations Act, the basis of Taiwan-US ties, and reiterates the United States’ “Six Assurances” to Taiwan, which include provisions for arm sales to Taiwan’s military.
In addition, the act says that the US will maintain the capacity to resist Chinese force or coercion aimed at Taiwan. This includes ensuring that the US military can deny China a quick military takeover of Taiwan. The act also suggests that Taiwan may be invited to take part in military exercises. These could include the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, which is the largest maritime military exercise in the world.
The US House of Representatives passed its own version of the act earlier, and the US Senate will now work with the House to create a unified version of the bill.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office says that Taiwan will continue holding discussions with US government bodies, strengthening bilateral security cooperation, and playing a proactive role as a part of the Indo-Pacific region.