What is the foreign aid to Taiwan approved by the U.S. Congress?
President Joe Biden has signed into law an extensive $95 billion foreign aid package. Taiwan is one of the countries that will benefit from the assistance.
After months of debate and negotiations, Congress finally passed a $95 billion foreign aid package which President Joe Biden has signed into law.
The bill provides aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, although billions of the amount will be spent in the United States.
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What is the foreign aid to Taiwan approved by the U.S. Congress?
The law affects parts of the Indo-Pacific, for which $8.1 billion of the aid has been earmarked.
This amount aims to finance efforts to “counter communist China and ensure a strong deterrence in the region,” per Reuters.
Around $2 billion will be allotted to foreign military financing for Taiwan and other key allies in the region to support their efforts in “confronting Chinese aggression.” China has increased military activity near Taiwan in the past few years.
Approximately $1.9 billion will be allocated for defense-related expenses provided to Taiwan and other partners of the United States in the region, while $542 million will be spent to strengthen U.S. military capabilities in the area.
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Taiwan president happy with aid package while China is incensed
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said she was pleased with the assistance, which provides arms support to her country. The American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan applauded the law, saying that the move will “contribute to regional stability and help sustain the right environment for economic and business growth.”
China, on the other hand, criticized the aid, and demanded that the U.S. stop providing Taiwan with arms.
Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the measures “send the wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces, and we are resolutely opposed to it,” according to Reuters.
“We urge the United States to take concrete actions to fulfill its commitment not to support Taiwan independence and to stop arming Taiwan in any way,” she said.