US President Joe Biden’s administration plans to ship $500 million price of weapons support to Taiwan utilizing the identical emergency authority that has been used greater than 35 occasions for Ukraine, a supply acquainted with the plan stated on Friday.

As part of the 2023 funds, Congress licensed as much as $1 billion price of weapons support for Taiwan utilizing Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), a sort of authority that expedites safety help and has helped to ship arms to Ukraine.

This drawdown, which authorizes the president to switch articles and providers from US stockpiles with out congressional approval throughout an emergency, could be the primary from that $1 billion authorization.

China views democratically-governed Taiwan as its personal territory and has elevated army stress on the island over the previous three years. It has by no means renounced the usage of drive to convey the island beneath its management.

Final month, China staged warfare video games round Taiwan after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met U.S. Home of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.

In February, US Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin testified earlier than the Senate Armed Providers Committee that he supposed to utilize drawdown authority, a Pentagon spokesperson stated on Friday. The spokesperson declined to touch upon whether or not the U.S. was transferring forward with the $500 million support bundle.

“Our strategy stays per longstanding US coverage… We’re laborious at work fulfilling our obligations beneath the TRA (Taiwan Relations Act), and we will proceed to take action,” the spokesperson stated.

Since 1979, the US-Taiwan relationship has been ruled by the Taiwan Relations Act, which provides a authorized foundation to offer Taiwan with the means to defend itself, however doesn’t mandate that the USA come to Taiwan’s support if attacked.

It was unclear what could be included within the support bundle for Taiwan, which was first reported by Bloomberg information. The timing was additionally unknown.

Taiwan has since final yr complained of delays to U.S. weapon deliveries, reminiscent of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as producers turned provides to Ukraine because it battles invading Russian forces. The difficulty has involved some U.S. lawmakers.

Taiwan Protection Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng stated on Thursday that the supply of 66 superior new F-16Vs from the USA had been delayed attributable to provide chain disruptions and the ministry was working to reduce the harm and “make up deficiencies.”