The US Senate has approved its defence policy bill for the 2026 financial year, which for the first time “strongly encourages” inviting Taiwan’s navy to take part in the Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) military exercise.
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The 2026 National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA), which passed late on Thursday, also authorises the executive branch to allocate US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, expanding the mechanism’s use to include combat casualty care and medical equipment.
The move is seen as a sign of Washington’s resolve to deter Beijing’s growing military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.
The bill passed in a 77–20 vote after weeks of partisan gridlock that had paralysed much of the agenda of the US Congress.
Seventeen amendments were passed as stand-alone measures, while another 48 less contentious provisions were adopted by voice vote. Despite a partial government shutdown, the NDAA – which sets annual US defence spending levels and priorities – cleared the Senate with rare bipartisan support.
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Although the full text has yet to be released, congressional aides told Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency (CNA) that the Taiwan-related provisions remained consistent with the version approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee in July.