China’s growing military threat toward Taiwan has prompted U.S. legislators to draft sweeping new legislation designed to bulwark the island democracy’s defenses. The Taiwan Policy Act (TPA) could signify the biggest overhaul of Washington’s policy on Taiwan in nearly 40 years.
The bill would offer substantial defense support that goes beyond historic levels, codify a sanctions system to punish China for any aggression against the island and overall deepen the U.S.-Taiwan relationship.
The TPA is unlikely to pass during this congressional session, but has nonetheless infuriated China, which claims Taiwan as its territory. Beijing has warned that the bill could threaten the foundations of a bilateral relationship already at historic lows, with most high-level dialogues unilaterally suspended by Beijing and with the U.S. recently imposing unprecedented export controls on China’s semiconductor sector.