Some Senators clearly are, through the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022, which the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved on Wednesday and now heads to the Senate floor. The bill focuses on expanding both the nature and the amount of military aid the United States government is authorized to supply to Taiwan, even requiring that Taiwan requests for assistance be prioritized. The bill is so wildly provocative, that if passed, it would mandate that Taiwan — a province of China throughout history — “shall be treated as though it were designated a major non-NATO ally for the purposes of the transfer or possible transfer of defense.” The bill reportedly outlines broad economic sanctions regime against China, as well.
The administration has expressed some caution about the bill, with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan telling Bloomberg in a Sept. 7 interview that the bill has some elements which are “quite effective and robust,” but “other elements that give us some concern.” (The full interview is scheduled for release only on Sept. 21, according to The Hill).
But after Nancy Pelosi’s trip, China is not waiting to see what might result from such vague White House cautions.
When asked to comment today on the Foreign Relations Committee’s approval, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning replied that China has already lodged serious diplomatic protests with the US government, adding: