WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today announced Committee approval of the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, legislation he authored along with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to reinforce United States policy towards Taiwan in order to maintain stable cross-Strait deterrence as China expands its campaign to undermine the status quo.
Among its provisions, the bipartisan proposal expands U.S. efforts to promote the security of Taiwan, ensures regional stability, and deters further People’s Republic of China (PRC) aggression against Taiwan. The legislation also imposes steep costs on the PRC for hostile action against Taiwan by setting up a broad economic sanctions regime.
“As Beijing continues to take coercive diplomatic, political, military and economic measures against Taiwan, today’s strong, bipartisan vote not only signals our unwavering support for the Taiwanese people, but our recognition of the pivotal role that the United States Congress must play in confronting these challenges.
“We need to be clear-eyed about what we are facing, just as we need to be clear in our response. Despite what some may try to argue, the primary focus of this bill has always been on deterrence and on enhancing Taiwan’s capabilities. The bill we are approving today makes clear the United States does not seek war or increased tensions with Beijing. Just the opposite. We are carefully and strategically lowering the existential threats facing Taiwan by raising the cost of taking the island by force so that it becomes too high a risk and unachievable.
“After soliciting and incorporating input from Members of the Committee to address wide-ranging views and concerns, holding multiple hearings and briefings on this issue, as well as allowing for Committee members to travel to Taiwan, we passed a comprehensive piece of legislation to lay a new and bipartisan path forward for U.S.-Taiwan policy that maintains cross-Strait stability, all while reinforcing a status quo that is under threat from Beijing and that, without reinforcement, would inevitably and invariably collapse.
“Today, I am incredibly proud to lead the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in speaking on behalf of the U.S. Congress so Beijing understands they have failed in trying to dictate what we can do and how, just like they will fail in preventing the United States from standing up for the people of Taiwan. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues to ensure this Congress does everything needed to support Taiwan.”
Last month, Chairman Menendez published an op-ed in the New York Times on the critical window of opportunity for the U.S. Congress to enact a more forward leaning policy to defend Taiwan. Citing Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, as well as the unprecedented unity among democratic nations against Putin’s own incursion into Ukraine, Chairman Menendez made the moral and strategic case for safeguarding Taiwan’s democracy through his bipartisan Taiwan Policy Act of 2022.
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