Next month will mark 45 years of the Taiwan Relations Act. Ahead of the anniversary, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged continued support for Taiwan. Speaking on the Senate floor, he underscored the importance of maintaining U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific. He said that the U.S.-Taiwan partnership had become important to the world as an indicator of American credibility.

Mitch McConnell
Senate Republican Conference leader
In the 45 years since Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act our friends on the island have continued to write an incredible story of resilience.

April will mark 45 years since the passage of the Taiwan Relations Act. At the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell delivered a speech stressing the importance of U.S.-Taiwan relations.

Mitch McConnell
Senate Republican Conference leader
And the U.S.-Taiwan partnership has become an increasingly important indicator of bipartisan American resolve at a time when our allies and adversaries alike doubt the credibility of our commitments.

McConnell said that over the past 45 years, Taiwan had established a strong democracy and a robust civil society. He said that, after Washington abandoned its allies in Afghanistan and amid its slow assistance to Ukraine, the U.S.’ relationship with Taiwan is seen as a test of American credibility. As Taiwan modernizes its military, he said, U.S. investment in Taiwan’s defense would show Indo-Pacific allies that Washington recognizes the significance of the region.

Mitch McConnell
Senate Republican Conference leader
And of the strategic competition unfolding out there, a competition that American cannot afford to neglect. After all, the PRC is certainly not neglecting it.

McConnell warned that China’s reported military spending had doubled since 2015, and that it had announced an additional 7.2% increase in defense spending this year. He said the PRC was showing that it’s prepared to redraw maps by force. He said that as Congress considers annual defense appropriations, it should prioritize “standing by our friends,” “standing up to our adversaries,” “and investing in the military capacity to do both.”

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