FAPA welcomes enactment of 2025 U.S. defense spending legislation

Washington, Dec. 24 (CNA) A Washington-based nonprofit Taiwanese organization that promotes cooperation between Taiwan and the United States praised the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025 signed into law by President Joe Biden on Monday.

The NDAA enhances U.S. support for Taiwan and counters the People Republic of China's (PRC) misrepresentation of United Nations Resolution 2758, the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) said in a statement issued Tuesday.

The bill authorized US$895 billion for the U.S. Defense Department for fiscal year 2025, including up to US$300 million in measures to promote Taiwan-U.S. security cooperation and strengthen Taiwan's defense capabilities.

Among the NDAA provisions favorable to Taiwan was the Building Options for the Lasting Security of Taiwan through European Resolve Act (Bolster Act), aimed at enhancing U.S.-Europe cooperation in strengthening Taiwan's security and international presence, FAPA said.

The act also encourages the U.S. and Europe to repeatedly stress the differences between their "one China" policies and the PRC's "one China principle" and refute Chinese claims that U.N. Resolution 2758 recognizes Beijing's territorial claims over Taiwan, FAPA said.

The group applauded "this critical legislation to counter the People's Republic of China's (PRC) groundless territorial claims over Taiwan and ensure Taiwan's continued freedom and independence amid China's increasing aggression toward Taiwan," the statement said.

"FAPA strongly urges the incoming Donald Trump administration to prioritize and intensify efforts to combat the PRC's baseless territorial claims and its escalating aggression toward Taiwan," FAPA President Kao Su-mei (林素梅) said in the statement.

The NDAA's provisions, however, only authorize Pentagon programs, but actual funding for them has to be covered in a separate spending bill for the fiscal year ending in September 2025, Reuters reported, indicating that funding for all of the measures is not guaranteed.