US-Taiwan Military Cooperation Deepens Under New US Legislation

Taipei and Washington are moving toward closer military cooperation as US President Donald Trump signs a bill authorizing military support to Taiwan and a possible joint drone program. But, as Alan Lu reports, there could be a catch.

Taiwan’s military could receive up to a one billion US dollar boost. That’s after US President Donald Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday.

REPORTER:

This military aid falls under the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. It lays out US–Taiwan military training programs and covers medical care. It also supports US–Taiwan cooperation on unmanned systems and expands training between the US and Taiwan’s coast guards — programs meant to strengthen Taiwan’s security and deterrence.

REPORTER:

But Trump has raised concerns about several of the bill’s provisions. The bill asks the US defense secretary to launch a joint program for drone and counter-drone development with Taiwan by March 1, 2026. Trump said the provision seeks to dictate the US’ position on foreign military and diplomatic affairs, and as president, he will have the right to withhold information considered harmful.

Experts say that as China rapidly expands its military, whether the cooperation on drones will reach Taiwan in time remains an open question. Because China’s military capabilities are constantly growing, the so-called asymmetric systems being discussed now may not necessarily be sufficient to effectively counter the People’s Liberation Army, especially when measured against its current capabilities and its future force-building goals. So the question is whether there is a need to take the discussion a step further and possibly even expand it to include cooperation on defense technology and defense manufacturing and other related areas of collaboration.

REPORTER:

The bill also asks the US government to provide evidence of the financial assets owned by the leaders of Chinese Communist Party, aiming to identify the sources of their wealth. The bill’s signing comes a day after the US announced a new military deal worth more than 10 billion US dollars with Taiwan – underscoring continued cooperation between the countries.