A visiting US Congressional delegation to Taiwan asserted that the superpower would take action if the island was attacked, and also assured that it would clear Taiwan’s $19 billion backlog in defence purchases from the US.
“Resolute Reaction” to Attack on Taiwan
Ahead of meetings with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen, Rob Wittman, vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a speech: “Know that any hostile unprovoked attack on Taiwan will result in a resolute reaction from the US.”
He added that the US has “an obligation” to ensure that its clears “the backlog of foreign military sales that exist now between our countries.” Wittman also said that both Republicans and Democrats were working on the issue.
A representative of Virginia, Wittman arrived in Taipei on Thursday along with Carlos Gimenez of Florida, and Jen Kiggans of Virginia for a three-day visit.
United States Congressman Rob Wittman said Friday any unprovoked attack on Taiwan will result in a "resolute reaction" from the United States, as he and other American lawmakers met with the island's leader Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei. https://t.co/HYO56KZ08N pic.twitter.com/bLyMNk7RBl
— Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) September 1, 2023
Military Transfer to Taiwan
Wittman’s comments come only a few days after the Biden administration approved its first-ever military transfer of $80 million to Taiwan under a programme it generally reserves for assistance to sovereign, independent states. Officials did not specify how exactly the money would be spent.
US law requires Washington to arm the self-governing island with the means for self-defence and treat all threats to it as matters of “grave concern.” However, it remains ambiguous whether it would deploy its own forces in the event of an attack from China.
Nonetheless, last May, US President Joe Biden said during a joint press conference with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida in Tokyo that the US would intervene militarily if China attempted to take Taiwan by force.
On being asked if the US would be willing to help Taiwan in the event of an invasion, as it did with Ukraine, Biden responded “Yes. That’s the commitment we made. We agree with the One China policy. We signed on to it, and all the attendant agreements made from there, but the idea that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is (just not) appropriate.”