The US Senate is considering a bill that urges US President Barack Obama to help Taiwan build its own diesel-electric submarines and take part in a wide array of military training programs, US documents show.
A five-part clause in the US National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 — to go before the full US Senate next month — is headed “Taiwan Asymmetric Military Capabilities and Bilateral Training Activities.”
US Senate sources said that the Taiwan clause is expected to pass and go before the US House of Representatives-Senate Conference Committee before landing on Obama’s desk to be signed later this summer.
The clause says that it is the “sense of the Senate” that the US — in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act — should continue to make available to Taiwan “such defense articles and services as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense.”
Sources said that this paragraph was included to help counter pressure on the White House from Beijing to curb arms sales to Taiwan.
A second point in the clause stipulates that Washington would continue to support Taipei’s efforts to integrate innovative and asymmetric measures to balance the increasing military capabilities of China.
In particular, fast attack craft, coastal defense cruise missiles, mines and “submarines optimized for defense of the Taiwan Strait” are included.
The section goes on to say the military forces of Taiwan should be permitted to participate in bilateral training activities hosted by the US that increase credible deterrent capabilities of Taiwan.
It says that strategic and tactical activities that would particularly help Taiwanese military forces in the defense of the nation from missile attack, maritime blockade and amphibious invasion by China should be included.
“Toward that goal, Taiwan should be encouraged to participate in exercises that include realistic air-to-air combat training, including the exercise conducted at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, commonly referred to as Red Flag,” the clause read.
Taiwan should be encouraged to participate in advanced bilateral training for its ground forces, Apache attack helicopters and P-3C surveillance aircraft in island-defense scenarios, it added.
US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain has included in the National Defense Authorization Act a South China Sea initiative that would give the Pentagon new authority to train and equip “a variety of South China Sea states” for maritime security.
If adopted in the final version of the bill, this provision would provide up to US$425 million for this mission over the next five years.
Nations singled out for naval training are Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
However, the bill adds that senior officers from Taiwan might be able to attend training exercises.
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