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US lawmakers this week asked the White House to speed up the delivery of nearly $19 billion worth of military equipment purchased from Taiwan. As Voice of America correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, they justify the request with the fear that China may occupy the island.
Indonesia's military on Tuesday begins five-day naval exercises with other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations in the South China Sea...as China continues its regional aggression.
"There are pieces of territory in Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and someone told me Russia too - that China claims should be part of it. If they think they can force their way into Taiwan, that's not the last place they'll try to do the same," said Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. of Representatives.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reacted to the drills.
"We have a clear and consistent position on the South China Sea," says Ms Mao.
US lawmakers expressed concern that the United States has yet to hand over nearly $19 billion worth of military equipment purchased from Taiwan.
The chairman of a House Committee on China, Mike Gallagher, told VOA that while Congress is being hampered by logistical challenges, the defense industry needs to move faster to transfer military equipment to Taiwan.
"We have not yet adopted a multi-year budget plan that is necessary to replenish our reserves. We are very exposed and we need to work in this area. This is one of the lessons of the war in Ukraine and we still haven't understood this", says Mr. Gallagher.
Some Republican lawmakers argue that President Biden's administration has not been strong enough in its policy on Taiwan and that the military sales program for it is not working.
A US government official disagrees.
"Last year we authorized the largest figure for military sales to Taiwan in at least 30 years. In this administration, we have authorized nearly $6 billion in arms sales to Taiwan," says Mira Resnick, regional security official at the US State Department.
But Ms. Resnick acknowledged that defense contractors need to speed up production.
"We need to work with the industry to increase efficiency in their processes, work with the industry to make sure that they are opening production lines here and abroad to make sure that we will be able to deliver purchases on time ”, says Mrs. Resnick.
Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States must ensure that Taiwan is able to defend itself.
US defense officials assured lawmakers that America supports its "one China" policy, which recognizes but does not endorse Beijing's view that it exercises sovereignty over Taiwan./VOA
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