U.S. lawmakers propose bill to fund support for Taiwan int'l space

Washington, May 10 (CNA) The U.S. House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Friday introduced a bill which will authorize US$120 million to support Taiwan's international space and take on China's coercion.

The legislation -- the Taiwan Allies Fund Act -- came on a bipartisan basis ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on May 20.

In a statement, the committee said the bill "strengthens Taiwan's global network of friends by authorizing US$120 million over three years for the State Department and USAID (United States Agency for International Development) to provide foreign assistance to Taiwan's official and unofficial partners subjected to coercion and pressure from the CCP."

Under the bill, the funding will be part of the Countering PRC Influence Fund in which a qualified country will receive US$5 million a year.

A country is described in the bill as a qualified fund recipient if it is able to advance Taiwan's meaningful participation in international fora and multilateral organizations, if it is able to diversify supply chains away from China, or if it is able to build the capacity and resilience of civil society, media, and other nongovernmental organizations to counter China's influence and propaganda.

The bill stipulates that the U.S. encourages countries having no official ties with Taiwan to deepen their engagement, and help those countries which lack the economic or political capability to effectively respond to China's coercion or pressure.

"The Chinese Communist Party has spent decades trying to isolate the free people of Taiwan from the world stage and coerce other nations into severing relations with the thriving democracy," Republican committee Chairman John Moolenaar said in the statement.

Moolenaar proposed the bill along with Democratic Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democratic House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks, and Taiwan Caucus Co-Chairs Andy Barr of the Republican Party, and Ami Bera and Gerald Connolly of the Democratic Party.

"Our legislation will help Taiwan's diplomatic allies resist CCP authoritarian pressure campaigns while meeting their development needs. The United States must stand with those who stand with Taiwan," Moolenaar said.

The committee said since 2013, China has enticed 11 countries to cut relations with Taipei in favor of Beijing, often through bribes and economic inducements. After Nauru's switch of its recognition from Taiwan to China in January 2024, Taiwan is left with only 12 diplomatic allies.

The committee added China has also weaponized trade and commercial ties to punish countries forging closer unofficial ties with Taiwan, including Lithuania.

Krishnamoorthi described Taiwan as "one of our closest friends in the world."

He said China's attempts to intimidate and influence countries which diplomatically recognize Taiwan and economically coerce those countries which seek to strengthen unofficial relations must be condemned and rejected.

"It is time for the United States to stand with Taiwan in the face of diplomatic pressure from Beijing that seeks to undermine Taiwan's rightful participation on the international stage," Krishnamoorthi said.

The bill was the first legislation co-proposed by Moolenaar after he assumed the chairmanship of the committee in April, when he said his priorities as the chairman included how to expand training programs for Taiwan's military and eliminate bottlenecks that have left Taiwan waiting years to receive the weapons it needs to defend itself.

He has pledged to work tirelessly to deter China's military aggression against Taiwan and American allies in the Indo-Pacific.