Measures include monitoring China’s military capability and interference in January’s Taiwan elections. Donald Trump set to sign act that also creates ‘Space Force’ and raises overall defence spending
The US Senate has passed a US$738 billion defence bill that includes further support for Taiwan and assessments of Beijing’s military capabilities.
The final version of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), which will go to the White House for approval, provides for a 2.8 per cent increase in US military spending and outlines measures to counter US adversaries such as China and Russia.
It would require reports on Beijing’s military capabilities, Chinese investments in the Arctic region and Beijing’s efforts to influence next month’s Taiwan elections, according to the record of congressional proceedings last week.
The Senate, the US Congress’ upper chamber, voted to pass the legislation 86 to 8 on Tuesday, after the House of Representatives approved the bill last week 377 to 48. US President Donald Trump last Wednesday promised to “immediately” sign the bill into law.
“This bipartisan document outlines the challenges we need to be prepared to meet – namely strategic competition with China and Russia,” Oklahoma senator Jim Inhofe, sponsor of the bill, said on the Senate floor.
“Let’s use our vote to send a message as well to Russia and China that we’re revitalising American power so we can win the competition for influence that will shape the kind of world our children and grandchildren are going to live in.”
Inhofe said that many other elements of the defence legislation – including the creation of “Space Force”, a military branch for space warfare – were also aimed at the same American adversaries. Critics of the bill in the United States condemned the increase in spending for a country that already had the world’s largest military budget.
Beijing and Washington have escalated their strategic rivalry since last year, with a prolonged trade war, clashes over human rights, technological competition and competing interests in the Indo-Pacific. China’s defence budget for 2019 rose 7.5 per cent to 1.18 trillion yuan (US$168.6 billion), and is expected to rise further next year.
The US bill would require the director of US national intelligence to submit a report within 45 days of Taiwan’s presidential and legislative elections on January 11 about “influence operations conducted by China” in the election and any actions by the US to “disrupt” those operations.
The legislation called for senior-level government and military exchange visits between the US and Taiwan, arms sales to support Taiwan’s defence strategy, and a report on cybersecurity activities between the US and Taiwan.
Beijing claims the self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as part of its own territory, and has not renounced the use of force to bring the island into its fold. Although the US is not a formal diplomatic ally of Taiwan, it has long supported the island with arms sales and on the international stage.