The Taiwan PLUS Act aims to strengthen U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan by granting Taiwan the same treatment as countries in the "NATO Plus" group—a privileged category that currently includes Japan, Australia, South Korea, Israel, and New Zealand. For a five-year period starting when the bill is enacted, Taiwan would receive streamlined processing for military equipment requests and reduced congressional notification requirements that apply to these allied nations. The bill cites Taiwan's status as the seventh-largest U.S. trading partner and notes that the U.S. has provided over $56 billion in military sales to Taiwan since 2001 to support its self-defense. The State Department can renew Taiwan's "NATO Plus" status for additional five-year periods if the secretary of state determines it serves U.S. national security interests and notifies Congress at least 14 days before renewal. The legislation reflects bipartisan concern about Taiwan's security amid geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
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