“We must arm Taiwan to defend itself against a Chinese attack as quickly as possible. We can’t wait until it’s too late,” Hawley told the Washington Free Beacon.
“In true form, CCP goons respond to any attempt to protect Taiwan from invasion with violent threats and prevarications,” he further explained. The Biden Administration approved a $95 million arms package to Taiwan, the second such deal since Russia initiated its invasion of Ukraine, which raised apprehensions that China might follow suit with an invasion of the island democracy. Chinese Communist officials, who have claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since their rise to power in Beijing, have condemned such sales even though they have never ruled the island. China warned that the latest sale would “only push the Taiwan people into the abyss of disaster.”
Last week, Hawley introduced the Taiwan Weapons Exports Act, which would expedite the delivery of weapons to Taiwan by speeding up congressional approval and stamping out “administrative roadblocks.”
“The Biden Administration waited for Russia to invade before surging lethal aid to Ukraine,” the Republican stated in a press release. “We can’t afford to the make same mistake in the Indo-Pacific. That’s why it is so important to fast-track weapons to Taiwan now while Taiwan still has time to marshal its defenses and deter a Chinese invasion.” On Wednesday, the Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council condemned “collusion” between China and “Taiwan secessionists,” further discouraging “provocation against the one-China principle.”
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“Our gratitude to @HawleyMO for introducing the #Taiwan Weapons Exports Act. The legislation spotlights the #U.S. senator’s rock-solid commitment to #StandWithTaiwan, & is another vote of congressional confidence in our country & its 23.5 million people,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted last week.
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Meanwhile, Taiwan’s military issued its first official war survival handbook this week, advising civilians on how to prepare for or respond to a Chinese invasion that many fear will be similar to Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine. Published Tuesday, the 28-page “National Defense Manual” details several survival tactics -– including how to find bomb shelters via smartphone apps, locate water and food supplies, prepare emergency first aid kits, and distinguish air raid signals and other mobilization information. The handbook includes scannable QR codes as well as large graphics and images to get the government’s messages across.
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“The pamphlet simulates wartime situations and guides the public in various scenarios, so they can learn to adopt the necessary response measures,” Lie Tai-yi, director of the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency’s materials division, said during an online briefing, according to Bloomberg.