U.S. senators introduce bill to boost Taiwan drone cooperation

San Francisco, April 1 (CNA) A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced a bill to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan on drone development and to reduce reliance on supply chains linked to China.

The proposed Blue Skies for Taiwan Act of 2026 was introduced by Republicans Ted Cruz and John Curtis and Democrats Jeff Merkley and Andy Kim.

The legislation seeks to ease constraints on U.S.-Taiwan cooperation in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), including dependence on China-sourced components, limited access to capital, and regulatory barriers under U.S. export controls, according to a news release issued by Cruz on Wednesday.

The bill would establish a "Blue UAS Working Group," led by the Departments of State and Defense, to assess Taiwan's drone production capacity and identify opportunities and obstacles to integrating Taiwan-made components into U.S. defense supply chains.

It also calls for the establishment of a cooperative framework with regional allies to develop supply chains independent of China, while directing U.S. agencies to create a fast-track certification process for Taiwanese drone manufacturers and component suppliers.

Cruz said the Chinese Communist Party "expends countless resources" to isolate Taiwan internationally, adding that the bill would modernize drone supply chains and deepen U.S.-Taiwan defense cooperation.

Merkley stressed that support for Taiwan remains "ironclad" as pressure from Beijing increases.

Curtis said the legislation would expand bilateral cooperation to build secure drone systems while reducing reliance on China and reinforcing regional deterrence.

Kim highlighted the growing importance of drones in modern defense, warning that the U.S. and its partners are not producing them at sufficient scale, while China dominates the supply of commercially available components.

He said supporting Taiwan's drone industry through legislation would help close that gap and enhance long-term stability for the U.S. and its allies.