TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — United States Senator Josh Hawley on Friday (April 8) introduced the Taiwan Weapons Exports Act to speed up Congressional and administrative approval of weapons sales to the Asian democracy.

On his website, the Missouri Republican mentioned the need to deliver critical weapons to Taiwan as quickly as possible due to the rapidly growing threat of a Chinese invasion.

He specifically named “naval mines, anti-tank missiles, man-portable air-defense systems, and other asymmetric defense capabilities.” His act would expedite approval of such deliveries by Congress and remove administrative roadblocks, he said.

Hawley said the law would include Taiwan under the export regulations of countries like Japan, Australia, India, South Korea, and NATO members. The approval of licenses for arms sales to Taiwan would go faster, and the time spent by Congress on the review of such sales would be cut by half., he said.

The senator underlined the urgency of the law, saying it was vital to provide Taiwan with the necessary weapons as soon as possible to allow it to prepare its defenses.