I recently had the honor of joining Representative Kevin Hern and a group of distinguished colleagues for a visit to America’s friends in Taiwan. My first trip abroad as a member of Congress was educational and eye-opening.
After hearing concerns from Taiwan’s leadership regarding Chinese aggression, the importance of trade between our two countries, and the island’s energy strategy, I now have a deeper appreciation for this key U.S. partner—but also a degree of unease about the path it has taken.
In just two years, Taiwan will completely phase out nuclear power to create a “nuclear-free homeland.” Alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, will replace nuclear energy and constitute 20 percent of Taiwanese energy by 2025.
This shift could spell both short and long-term complications for Taiwan, and here’s why.
The country’s aging power grid already faces immense challenges, including regular brownouts and blackouts. I spoke to industry leaders who quipped about the high frequency of power outages. Taiwan Power Company reported thousands of blackout incidents in the first half of 2022 alone. Island-wide power outages affecting up to five million residents are not uncommon.
An increased reliance on offshore wind and solar energy may only exacerbate the threat to Taiwan’s power grid. The head of renewable energy at KPMG Taiwan admitted the risk of incorporating additional “green” energy sources, stating that without a “more resilient power grid,” blackouts “could happen over and over again.”
This as China continues flexing its muscles by conducting military exercises in what Taiwan’s Defense Ministry calls a “blockade.” Dependence on off-shore wind farms instead of on-shore nuclear power plants gives the Chinese Navy more opportunity to destabilize the island. Taiwan already relies on maritime imports for up to 97 percent of its energy.
The Biden administration must get serious about offering support to our ally. Hardly a day passes without the Chinese Air Force or Navy violating Taiwanese airspace. Rest assured, when it comes to countering China, our interests align.
A significant aspect of U.S.-Taiwan security policy is arms sales, but these purchases are experiencing significant delivery delays. The delays are primarily a result of a U.S. manufacturing backlog and a distracted Biden administration with arms deliveries to Ukraine taking preference over Taiwan. Unfortunately, the White House has focused more on the war in Ukraine, where U.S. interests are yet to be sufficiently defined.
Currently, Taiwan is waiting on $19 billion in unfulfilled arms sales for delivery from the United States. The Biden administration should fulfill its statutory obligation under the Taiwan Enhanced Resiliency Act and provide Congress with its plans to supply Taiwan with the allotted $2 billion in loans under the Foreign Military Financing program. This step puts America on track to clear the backlog and properly equip Taiwan to deter Chinese aggression.
In the meantime, Congress is playing an active role in U.S.-Taiwan relations. House Republicans have strengthened our economic relationship by affirming the United States-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade. Additionally, under H.R. 1159, the State Department would be required to issue reviews and updates related to our relations with Taiwan, giving us an up-to-date understanding of how we ought to cooperate further.
Despite the Biden administration’s preoccupation with Ukraine, countering the growing Chinese threat is our top foreign policy priority. Taiwan shares our interests in the Indo-Pacific region. If we want a strong, independent Taiwan that can stand up to China, the White House and Congress alike need to utilize all available means to equip Taiwan and encourage the use of the least vulnerable sources of energy. U.S. security in the region depends on it.
Rep. Mike Collins can be reached at collins.house.gov.
