Proposed bill to prioritize US arms delivery to TaiwanStaff writer, with CNA, WASHINGTONUS Senator Dan Sullivan has proposed a bill that would place Taiwan on the US’ priority list for arms sale deliveries, amid reports of a US$19 billion backlog. US Senator Dan Sullivan speaks at a Senate Armed Services hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 7, 2020. Photo: REUTERS“Everyone in Washington agrees that Taiwan is under dire, immediate threat from the Chinese Communist Party,” Sullivan said. Sullivan’s bill, which does not yet have a name, would require the US secretary of defense to “ensure the delivery of defense articles and services to Taiwan ahead of the delivery of substantially similar articles and services to any other foreign military sales customer.”However, the bill states that deliveries to Taiwan must not cause delays in the delivery of similar defense articles or services to Ukraine or Israel. The US government has said disruption to supply chains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and an increased demand for weaponry in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to the slow delivery of arms to Taiwan.
