WH to request Congress to fund Taiwan weapons through Kiev budget: AP

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Financial Times
2 Aug 2023 13:14

If the bill is ratified by Congress, Taiwan would get armaments for the first time through a US taxpayer-funded system.

The House meets to elect a speaker in Washington, on January 5, 2023 (AP)

US President Joe Biden's administration will request Congress to fund armaments for Taiwan as part of a "supplemental budget request" for Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper cited two people familiar with the matter as saying that the White House's Office of Management and Budget would include financing for Taiwan in the supplemental request as part of an effort to expedite the transfer of weaponry.

According to the Financial Times, Taiwan would get armaments for the first time through a US taxpayer-funded system known as "foreign military financing" if the bill is ratified by Congress. The request is scheduled to be submitted by the White House this month.

The proposal follows a White House statement that Washington would provide Taipei with $345 million in weapons from stocks for the first time, using a method known as "presidential drawdown authority" (PDA) that has previously been used to deliver weapons to Kiev.

"This would be a monumental step that signals how far the US government is now willing to go to accelerate deterrence across the Taiwan Strait," indicated Eric Sayers, managing director at Beacon Global Strategies, as quoted by the Financial Times.

The US-Taiwan Business Council highlights that Taiwan is still waiting for $23 billion in weapon sales, including harpoon missiles and surveillance drones, that have been approved by consecutive US administrations.

The Financial Times mentioned that "US military commanders have frequently expressed frustration with the slow transfer of weapons to Taiwan to enhance its security."

In the same context, the newspaper pointed out that the congressional vote on the supplemental budget, which will primarily focus on fresh military aid for Ukraine, will be the first assessment of the support for Kiev in the incumbent Congress.

It noted that a number of House Republicans attempted and failed recently to exploit the yearly defense bill to limit US assistance for Ukraine, pointing out that including Taiwan -- which has broad bipartisan support in Congress -- in the budget request, might assist the Biden administration and pro-Kiev Republicans win over legislators who would otherwise reject it.

Zack Cooper, an Asia security expert at the American Enterprise Institute think-tank, explained that "adding supplemental funding for Taiwan will put some House Republicans in a more difficult position since many who oppose Ukraine funding remain in favor of supporting Taiwan," as per the Financial Times.

On its part, the Chinese embassy in Washington underlined that China "firmly opposed US military ties with, and arms provision, to Taiwan," calling on the US to "stop posing risks to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."