A Senate committee in the United States has taken the first step towards legislation that would significantly enhance US military support for Taiwan, including potentially billions of dollars in additional security assistance, as the self-ruled island comes under increasing pressure from China.
The US has provided Taiwan with weapons to defend itself under decades-old legislation, but the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 would go further by providing security assistance of $4.5bn over four years. It also lays out sanctions on Beijing if it uses force to try to seize the island, which it sees as its own, and supports Taipei’s participation in international organisations.
