US lawmaker introduces bill to boost Taiwan asymmetric defence

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US lawmaker introduces bill to boost Taiwan asymmetric defence

Washington US January 23, ANI A lawmaker from the US state of Wisconsin introduced a bill aimed at boosting Taiwan's asymmetric defence capabilities against China's military aggression.

Representative Mike Gallagher introduced the Arm Taiwan Act, which would strengthen Taiwan's defences against a Chinese invasion by allocating USD 3 billion annually for a new Taiwan Security Assistance Initiative.

According to a press release, the act would also affect future conventional arms sales on Taiwan's progress in preparing its military and fielding the weapons needed to defeat China's war plans.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has made the unification of Taiwan with the mainland by force if necessary, a key part of his legacy and the CCP is getting more aggressive because of the weakness of the Biden Administration in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Iran. Congress needs to step up to restore deterrence before it is too late. I am proud to join Senator Hawley in introducing the Arm Taiwan Act to give Taiwan the necessary resources and weapons to defeat an attempted invasion, said Rep. Gallagher.

The act specifies how funds will be used, with a focus on providing Taiwan with equipment, training, and other support necessary to enable Taiwan to deploy the asymmetric defence capabilities required to delay, degrade, and deny a Chinese invasion against Taiwan.

Gallagher said the funding will be contingent on the annual certification that Taiwan is matching US investments in its asymmetric defences, increasing defence spending and acquiring asymmetric defence capabilities as soon as possible.

If the People's Republic of China were to invade and take control of Taiwan, it would be a severe blow to the United States' interests by destroying one of the world's leading democracies, incentivizing other countries in the Indo-Pacific region to bandwagon with the People's Republic of China and facilitating the formation of a regional order dominated by the People's Republic of China, the bill reads.

An identical Arm Taiwan Act was introduced by Senator for Missouri.

China continues to stake in Taiwan despite its self-governance for over seven decades.