《TAIPEI TIMES》US eyes joint weapons manufacturing with Taiwan

DEFENSIVE MEASURES: Joint weapons production between Taiwan and the US could build Taiwan’s capacity to replenish its own stocks, a US committee said

By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter

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The US House Armed Services Committee is exploring the possibility of joint weapons production with Taiwan in the proposed National Defense Authorization Act （NDAA） for Fiscal Year 2024.

Taiwan-US ties are based on the Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances,” the draft released by the committee on Monday says.

“Any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including boycotts and embargoes, is of grave concern to the US,” it says.

The US “should continue to support the development of capable, ready and modern defense forces necessary for Taiwan to maintain sufficient defensive capabilities,” it says.

The effort should be accomplished through foreign military sales, direct commercial sales and industrial cooperation, with an emphasis on capabilities that support an asymmetric strategy, it says.

The US should also review and respond to requests from Taiwan for defense articles and services, it adds.

Other means include conducting practical training and military exercises with Taiwan, and maintaining exchanges between defense officials and officers from both sides, it says.

The exchanges aim to enhance cooperation on defense planning, improve the interoperability of the military forces of Taiwan and the US, and improve the reserve forces of Taiwan, it says.

The US “should increase its support to a free and open society in the face of aggressive efforts by the government of the People’s Republic of China to curtail or influence the free exercise of rights and democratic franchise,” the draft says.

The committee is aware that Taiwan is facing long delays in the delivery of defense articles purchased from the US, which is largely due to a cumbersome foreign military sales process and shipping delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it says.

Facilitating joint weapons production between Taiwan and the US in the region could “expedite the time to initial operating capability and build the capacity of Taiwan to replenish its own stocks in a crisis,” it says.

The committee requires the US secretary of defense to provide a report to the congressional defense committees by March next year on the benefits and challenges of the coproduction of weapons and munitions for Taiwan, it adds.

Nikkei Asia in October last year cited multiple unnamed sources as saying that US President Joe Biden’s administration was considering joint production of weapons with Taiwan to more effectively deter China.

“What I would say broadly is that the US is looking at all options on the table to ensure that the rapid transfer of defense capabilities to Taiwan can take place as swiftly as possible,” US Department of State principal deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said at the time.

All subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee put forward proposals for the NDAA and were to meet yesterday and today to discuss the proposals, while a full committee markup is scheduled for Wednesday next week.

The US Senate and the US House of Representatives generally pass their own versions of the NDAA and vote on a renegotiated version before the bill is signed by the president.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES