U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Taiwan Defense Act (TDA). The bill ensures the United States is able to continue meeting its obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act in the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s aggressive military build-up. TDA requires the Department of Defense to maintain the ability to defeat a Chinese invasion – and in particular, a Chinese fait accompli – against Taiwan and to report regularly on its progress toward this goal.
“Taiwan is the lynchpin of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Senator Hawley said. “If the Chinese Communist Party is allowed to seize control of Taiwan, it will stand ready to dominate the region. This would pose an unacceptable threat to the lives and livelihoods not just of our Asian allies and partners, but of working Americans here at home. We must not allow that to happen.”
Full text of the bill is available here.