U.S. senators propose China-related bill with provisions supporting Taiwan

Washington, Sept. 19 (CNA) A group of U.S. Republican senators on Thursday introduced a bill that seeks to set up the United States for success in the strategic competition against China, with provisions that also include support for Taiwan.

The STRATEGIC Act of 2024 was proposed by 11 lawmakers including Todd Young, Dan Sullivan, and Jim Risch, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"The STRATEGIC Act comes at an important time as the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] continues its efforts to undermine security and stability in the Indo-Pacific," Young was quoted as saying in a news release issued by the committee.

This legislative package, he said, "contains several critical initiatives to counter the CCP, strengthen American supply chains and bolster American support for Taiwan."

According to Sullivan, the bill seeks to protect America's interests and the interests of its allies in the region, and also work to counter the global influence of the CCP.

The 378-page legislation contains a swath of measures like antitrust reform to crack down on China's predatory economic behavior as well as a boost in overall U.S. support for Taiwan.

One such example would be the establishment of a State/Treasury "Tiger Team," which seeks to identify "targets for sanctions, export controls and other economic measures well before China takes military action" against Taiwan.

There is also a provision on the "Treatment of the government of Taiwan," stipulating that the U.S. Department of State and other government agencies shall "treat the democratically elected government of Taiwan as the legitimate representative of the people of Taiwan" and "end the outdated practice of referring to the Government of Taiwan as the 'authorities.'"

The Senate bill would also require the U.S. government to cease any restrictions on direct and routine interactions with their counterparts in Taiwan, including visits by senior officials, as well as display of national symbols.

Furthermore, it would allow for the transfer of "obsolete or surplus items" to Taiwan, and those "intended for use as reserve stock."

The bill proposed by the group of Republican senators will first need to be approved by other relevant committees before it is deliberated by the Senate, after which it will need to be approved by the House of Representatives via a vote.