On December 11, 2019, the US House of Representatives passed, in a strong bipartisan vote of 377-48, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA FY2020), authorizing USD 738 billion for the Pentagon. On December 17, the US Senate overwhelmingly approved the NDAA FY2020 by a vote of 86-8. The US President Donald Trump signed the bill on December 20.[1]

1.US Congress is bipartisan when facing external threats from PRC and Russia

Although on July 12, 2019, a Democrat-controlled House passed a version of NDAA that varied tremendously from the bill produced by a Republican-controlled Senate on June 27, and even if Democrats are impeaching Trump, the Democrat-controlled House still passed a compromised NDAA FY2020 on December 11 that maintains many Republican positions. These results show that the US Congress is bipartisan when facing external threats, especially those from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia. Even the newly created Space Force is to counter-balance these two countries.

The PRC as an external threat to the US is shown by the NDAA FY2020 recognizing that the PRC presents a severe test to US interests in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The Act modifies the annual report on Chinese military and security developments to include those relating to Chinese overseas investments, the use of the PRC Coast Guard for gray zone activity, Chinese military relations with Russia, and the PRC’s expansion of its surveillance state and overall lack of human rights. The NDAA FY2020 also updates the strategy to counter the threat of malign influence by including the PRC as a required element in the report. It expresses a Sense of Congress that Congress unequivocally supports the people of Hong Kong as they defend their rights and preserve their autonomy against the PRC. The Act at the same time supports the improvement of Taiwan’s defense capabilities and force readiness and the expansion of joint training, foreign military sales, and senior level military-to-military engagements. It directs the US defense secretary to conduct a review of Chinese military, economic, information, diplomatic, and digital influence in Taiwan.[2]

The NDAA FY2020 likewise renews a series of authorities to deter Russian aggression. It increases funding for the European Defense Initiative (EDI) needs by providing an additional USD 734.3 million for military construction, anti-submarine warfare, and other urgent priorities to deter Russia and work with US partners and allies. It renews and extends the authorization of USD 300 million of funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, to include lethal defensive items as well as new authorities for coastal defense cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles. The NDAA FY2020 moreover prohibits military-to-military cooperation with Russia.[3]

2.Large budget to support new military capabilities against PRC and Russia

The NDAA FY2020 authorizes one of the largest defense budgets to date that aims to support new military capabilities against the PRC and Russia. For example, the NDAA FY2020 supports the budget request for hypersonic glide vehicles, direct-energy weapons, intermediate-range missiles, and procurement for space programs. It expands maritime patrol by adding 3 additional P-8 Poseidon and 1 E-2D Hawkeye aircraft. Furthermore, the NDAA FY2020 increases inter-theater airlift by adding 4 additional C-130 Hercules aircraft. It fully supports the Air Force UH-1N utility helicopter replacement program and the Army budget request for 131 Armored Multipurpose Vehicles, 152 Stryker Combat Vehicles, and 165 Abrams Tanks. For the Navy, the NDAA FY2020 supports full funding for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine development. The Act also authorizes construction of 3 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and one new frigate, 2 additional amphibious ships including an America-class amphibious assault ship and a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, and one large unmanned surface vessel and 2 medium unmanned surface vessels.[4]

3.Taiwan is a strategic partner of US

It is unambiguously expressed in the NDAA FY2020 that Taiwan is a strategic partner of the US and the US will continue to support the acquisition by Taiwan of defense articles and services through foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, and industrial cooperation, with an emphasis on anti-ship, coastal defense, anti-armor, air defense, defensive naval mining, and resilient command and control capabilities that support the asymmetric defense strategy of Taiwan. The US will expand the scale and scope of humanitarian assistance and disaster response cooperation with Taiwan and other regional partners through exercises and ship visits, so as to improve disaster response planning and preparedness. The US will continue regular transits of the US Navy vessels through the Taiwan Strait, and commend and encourage allies and partners to follow suit in conducting such transits. The US and Taiwan will try to work on establishing a high-level, interagency US-Taiwan working group for coordinating responses to emerging issues related to cybersecurity. The US will pay increasing attention to influence operations conducted by the PRC to interfere in or undermine Taiwan’s elections. For example, the NDAA FY2020 requests that not later than 45 days after the date of the election for the President and Vice President of Taiwan in 2020, the US Director of National Intelligence should submit to the congressional intelligence committees, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on any influence operations conducted by the PRC to interfere in or undermine such election and efforts by the US to disrupt such operations. [5]

1.PRC continues to be a potential major threat

As the NDAA FY2020 is a clear bipartisan articulation that targets the PRC as a potential major strategic and military threat to the US, this trend will continue in all future US defense documents. According to the NDAA FY2020, the US is most concerned about espionage activities and influence operations carried out by the PRC both within the US and around the world that could harm the US.

2.US will pay increasing attention to technology protection

The US will pay increasing attention to issues of technology transfer to the PRC. In the NDAA FY2020, emphasis is repeatedly placed on briefing on cooperative defense technology programs and risks of technology transfer to the PRC or Russia; report on contracts with entities affiliated with the government of the PRC or the Chinese Communist Party; and comprehensive economic assessment of investment in key US technologies by companies or organizations linked to the PRC.

3.US may seek new buyers for Turkey’s F-35s

Although Turkey was removed from the F-35 program for purchasing the Russian S-400 air defense system, the NDAA FY2020 still authorizes USD 440 million to build the F-35s Turkey was to buy. This could mean that the US may seek new buyers for the F-35s and may give Taiwan a potential opportunity to obtain the F-35s.