WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the committee’s passage of the Taiwan Policy Act:
“As China intensifies its threatening rhetoric and military aggression, it’s imperative we take action now to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense, before it’s too late,” said Risch. “I’m glad a number of provisions from my Taiwan Deterrence Act made it into the Taiwan Policy Act package passed out of committee today, including a Foreign Military Financing program for Taiwan. This program will accelerate Taiwan’s military reform and expand training for the Taiwanese military using realistic scenarios.”
“What happens to Taiwan is not only critical for 23 million Taiwanese, but also the future of the free and open Indo-Pacific,” Risch concluded. “We must get ahead of a future crisis and give Xi Jinping reasons to think twice about invading or coercing Taiwan. I hope the full Senate will vote on this legislation soon.”
In November 2021, Risch introduced the Taiwan Deterrence Act to bolster deterrence across the Taiwan Strait and strengthen Taiwan’s ability to defend against Chinese aggression and coercion. Several key provisions from this legislation were included in the Taiwan Policy Act passed out of committee today.
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