U.S. Designated Taiwan as A Major Non-NATO Ally”

Nancy Pelosi’s successful visit to Taiwan will undoubtedly increase tensions in the Taiwan Strait. On August 3rd, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the bipartisan Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, which strengthens Taiwan’s defense by listing it as a “major non-NATO ally” to counter Beijing’s aggressive behavior.

The Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 was jointly proposed by Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Menendez and Ranking Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. In addition to providing $4.5 billion in security assistance over four years to Taiwan to enhance its defense capability, provide Taiwan with the status of “primary non-NATO ally,” and rename the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States as the Taiwan Representative Office. The Act also provides sanctions if the CCP invades Taiwan.

It was described as one of the most comprehensive reorientations of U.S. policy toward Taiwan since the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 in a joint press release released by their offices. The interests and values of the United States are fundamentally tied to the protection of Taiwan’s safety, as Menendez and Graham correctly stated in the bill.

In Beijing’s opinion, Taiwan and the US are weaker than ever when it comes to defending these interests and values. As the PLA gains strength, the CCP aggressively deploys its military forces around Taiwan. Taiwan’s air defense identification zone was violated 969 times by Chinese warplanes in 2021, double the number of the previous year. As the power balance in the Taiwan Strait continues to deteriorate, Beijing may decide to engage in military aggression against Taiwan over the next several years.

The Taiwan Relations Act has been a crucial part of US policy towards Taiwan for many years. The Act states that Washington shall “provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character” and maintain the necessary US military capabilities to ensure that “the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means.”