Washington: Joint weapons production between Taiwan and the United States should prioritize projects that are relatively less complex and align with Taiwan's current capabilities, according to Alexander Velez-Green, the nominee for deputy under secretary of defense for policy. Velez-Green shared his insights in response to policy questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding suitable "security capabilities" for co-production, ahead of his confirmation hearing.

According to Focus Taiwan, Velez-Green highlighted that formal co-production agreements often entail complicated and lengthy negotiations with partners and industries. He suggested that Taiwan should concentrate on projects that can be executed swiftly to enhance deterrence and support a "denial defense." He emphasized that appropriate co-production efforts should focus on less technically complex capabilities for which Taiwan already has the necessary workforce and production infrastructure.

During a Senate committee session, Velez-Green reiterated his longstanding support for arming Taiwan and ensuring it possesses the necessary tools for self-defense. He stressed the importance of providing options to higher leadership for consideration and expressed a strong commitment to advocating for Taiwan's defense needs if confirmed. He mentioned presidential drawdown authority (PDA) as one option but admitted uncertainty regarding the status of the fourth PDA for Taiwan from the Trump administration.

Velez-Green also addressed Taiwan's role in deterring China and the urgency of expediting arms deliveries. He underscored the critical nature of the first island chain in maintaining military strength in the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S. strategy focuses on "denial of defense," which aims to convince China that any aggressive actions would be costly and ultimately unsuccessful, thereby deterring such attempts.

Furthermore, Velez-Green acknowledged the importance of U.S. allies and partners in this strategic region. He recognized the potential problems if the United States fails to equip its allies or partners with necessary weapons. In written responses to Senate inquiries, he urged Taiwan to increase its defense spending and rapidly acquire appropriate weapons and systems to deter Chinese aggression.

The U.S. government has consistently pushed for Taiwan to boost its defense budget, with some officials advocating for spending up to 10 percent of GDP. President Lai Ching-te has committed to raising defense spending to over 3 percent of GDP next year. However, U.S. Congress members have expressed concerns about the slow pace of American arms deliveries to Taiwan, which could undermine Taiwan's defense and deterrence capabilities.