US to invite Taiwan for 2022 RIMPAC naval exercises to boost its self-defence capability

Amid soaring tensions with China, the United States has said that it will be inviting Taiwan’s participation in the 2022 Rim of Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the world’s largest naval exercise. According to CNN, the 2022 National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) signed by US President Joe Biden read that the invitation to Taiwan would supplement US' efforts to support the self-governed democratic island in the face of “increasingly coercive and aggressive behaviour”. 

The 2022 NDAA said, “The US should continue to support the development of capable, ready, and modern defence forces necessary for Taiwan in a bid to maintain a sufficient self-defence capability,” including "as appropriate, inviting Taiwan to participate in the Rim of the Pacific exercise conducted in 2022.”

It is to mention that according to a December statement from the US Navy’s 3rd Fleet in San Diego, the RIMPAC exercise is expected to take place next summer with the participation of over 48 military units from 20 countries and 25,000 personnel. The US officials have not yet disclosed specific invitees to the upcoming Naval exercise. However, according to CNN, any potential invite could take a variety of forms, from ships or aircraft to a handful of observers. 

Usually, RIMPAC participants include a range of US allies and partners, including Japan and Australia, both of which are also seeing increasing tensions with China and showing support for Taiwan. Carl Schuster, former Director of Operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center, explained that the RIMPAC involvement is a political statement as much as a professional opportunity. Carl said that the invitation to the self-ruled island marks Taiwan as a friend and partner of the US. 

While calling the NDAA language “strong”, Carl added that the politico-strategic statement has its roots in China's escalating aggression against Taiwan and other nations in the Indo-Pacific region. He also went on to say that any Taiwanese involvement in the upcoming naval exercise would send a “strong political signal” to Beijing that its behaviour created this and raised the potential cost should it choose the military aggression route. 

China urges US to abandon 'outdated Cold War zero-sum thinking'

Meanwhile, it is to mention that the NDAA authorises appropriations for national security programmes across the US Defence, Energy, and State departments. NDAA’s section 1246 of the act deals with Taiwan, which separated from mainland China more than 70 years ago but Beijing still considers part of its territory. The US, on the other hand, has been committed to the island’s autonomy since the passage of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which provides for Washington to supply Taipei with the means to defend itself against aggression from China. 

When asked about the aforementioned sections on China in the NDAA, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that Beijing was opposed to using what it called “domestic legislation” to try to engage in “political manipulation” concerning China. Zhao urged the US to abandon “outdated Cold War zero-sum thinking and ideological prejudices”. 

(Image: Twitter/AP)