US Senate Committee Passes Bill Shortening Process for Arms Sales to Taiwan
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a series of Taiwan-focused bills, including the “Porcupine Act,” which would streamline and speed up Taiwan’s access to American weapons.
Senate Committee Passes Bill to Expedite Taiwan Arms Sales
REPORTER:
Taiwan could soon be able to purchase U.S. weapons more quickly.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the “Porcupine Act,” a bill that would streamline the lengthy arms sales process to Taiwan and grant it the same treatment as the US’ NATO allies.
It comes as the US is set to announce new global guidelines to speed up defense tech sharing with its partners, including Taiwan. The move could help ease delays in the sale of weapons, something that has affected Taiwan in recent years.
Defense minister Wellington Koo welcomed these developments, praising the US’ efforts to strengthen Taiwan’s defense capabilities and promote regional peace.
Wellington Koo (DEFENSE MINISTER):
We will wait for these guidelines.
Once they are officially announced
we will then proceed with
relevant discussions with manufacturers.
Whether it’s for joint production
or technology transfer.
REPORTER:
NATO countries get top priority when it comes to U.S. arms sales. Experts say granting Taiwan the same status would significantly cut down on government red tape, a benefit already enjoyed by several other regional partners of the US.
With this bill
Taiwan would be given the same treatment
as Japan, Australia, South Korea and Israel.
Whether it’s applying for arms sales
or the president issuing a letter
of offer and acceptance
and notifying Congress
the process would take less time.
REPORTER:
The Senate committee also passed several other pro-Taiwan bills on the same day. Those include:
The “Deter PRC Aggression Against Taiwan Act” to develop economic tools to achieve that objective.
The “US-Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act” to support countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
And the “Taiwan International Solidarity Act” which will oppose any attempts by China to resolve Taiwan's status by distorting the decisions, language and policies of international organizations.
These bills offer Taiwan strong support
on multiple fronts.
The U.S. Congress has a strong
bipartisan consensus on Taiwan issues
and is highly supportive of Taiwan.
REPORTER:
The bills still need to pass both the Senate and the House before they get signed into law by the president. But with Taiwan set to propose a new special defense budget with funds to buy more weapons, there’s optimism here that defense ties with the US could soon get even stronger.
