The US military got the green light from the White House to improve military relations with Taiwan and attempt to disrupt China’s efforts to displace the US as the dominant power in the region.
The 2019 ‘John S. McCain’ National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), recently signed by President Donald Trump, angered Beijing by openly defying China’s demands to cease military relations with Taiwan.
In an about-face from White House administrations spanning 40 years, the 788-page NDAA promised broader military exchanges and training with Taiwan and, at the same time, vowed to do the exact opposite with China.
The 2019 NDAA
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The initial document focused more on creating the right partnerships and inspiring investment in defence than on any details of how future UK Armed Forces would be armed.
The first stage of developing a new UK Defence Industrial Strategy has highlighted failings in current structures with solutions expected to be proposed in next year’s full strategy.
Romania joined NATO more than two decades ago and the country is vital to the alliance’s geographic reach and its ability to supply Ukraine with weapons.
Although Trump’s geopolitics policy for Europe remains unclear, defence analysts from the US and Europe predict how his incoming administration would attempt to handle critical issues on the continent.
The UK budget announced in Parliament on 30 October was the first by a Labour government in 14 years which has also launched a review into defence procurement programmes.
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