Biden Signs $895B Defense Bill, Allocating $571M to Taiwan and $3B for FCC's 'Rip and Replace' Program

Dec 25, 2024, 02:47 AM

President Joe Biden has signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 into law, which authorizes $895 billion in defense spending. The bill includes provisions aimed at countering China's growing power, with specific allocations such as $3 billion for the Federal Communications Commission's 'rip and replace' program to remove Chinese networking equipment, $571 million in military aid to Taiwan, $300 million to support Taiwan's defense, and $15.5 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. China has strongly criticized these actions, expressing dissatisfaction with the negative content related to China in the NDAA, particularly the military support for Taiwan, which it views as a violation of the 'one China principle' and the three joint communiques between China and the U.S. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has protested the bill through diplomatic channels, urging the U.S. to abandon its Cold War mentality and ideological biases.