From left: American Institute in Taiwan Acting Director Judy Kuo, Senator Michael Bennet, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, and Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council Joseph Wu
Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), recently concluded a visit to Japan and Taiwan, during which he met with senior leaders, including Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, and discussed concrete steps to enhance joint efforts to strengthen defense and deter threats in the Indo-Pacific. Prior to visiting the region, Bennet also visited U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) Headquarters in Hawaii, where he held consultations and received briefings on the U.S. posture and security cooperation.
“This trip reinforced my belief in the necessity of further cooperation with key allies and partners like Japan and Taiwan to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is essential to U.S. national security and prosperity,” said Bennet. “In every meeting, Japan and Taiwan’s leaders underscored both the vital role of the United States and their readiness to contribute their fair share to our collective deterrence. I will continue pressing for passage of my legislation to enhance regional intelligence cooperation, to bolster space collaboration with Taiwan, and to share drone expertise learned in Ukraine with our partners in both Taipei and Tokyo. I will also continue pushing the Trump administration to advance the billions of dollars in arms sales to Taiwan that Congress has already authorized and appropriated. These bipartisan efforts are critical to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and across the Indo-Pacific, a region inextricably tied to America’s future.”
In Hawaii, Bennet met U.S. military leadership, including PACOM Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. George Rowell, Pacific Air Forces Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. David Iverson, and Space Forces – Pacific Commander Brig. Gen. Brian A. Denaro. Bennet discussed how greater intelligence cooperation can support regional deterrence, as well as the critical role Colorado-based U.S. Space Force, U.S. Army, and other units play in this effort.
From left: Space Forces – Pacific Senior Enlisted Leader Chief Master Sgt. John W. Harms, Senator Bennet, and Space Forces – Pacific Commander Brig. Gen. Brian A. Denaro
In Japan, Bennet met senior Japanese officials including Chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Policy Research Council Takayuki Kobayashi and State Minister of Defense Kiyoshi Odawara, as well as U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass. Bennet expressed his support for Japan’s ongoing intelligence reforms, underscoring the opportunity the reforms would create for stronger U.S.-Japan intelligence cooperation. Bennet also discussed his legislation in the SSCI-passed FY27 Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) to bolster intelligence cooperation with Indo-Pacific allies, particularly Japan. Additionally, he reaffirmed the U.S. desire to strengthen cooperation — both bilaterally and through other mechanisms — on defense co-production, advanced technology, artificial intelligence, and space, including in Colorado.
Senator Bennet with Takayuki Kobayashi, Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Policy Research Council
In Taiwan, Bennet met key leaders including President Lai Ching-te and Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu, as well as American Institute in Taiwan Acting Director Judy Kuo. Bennet commended the Taiwan government and legislature’s efforts to bolster defense spending, including for unmanned aerial systems (UAS). He emphasized that there is strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, including through the sale of the defensive weapons necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability. He also reaffirmed Congress’s bipartisan support for full implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances. Additionally, he expressed his support for passage of legislation he sponsors to provide double-taxation relief on U.S.-Taiwan cross-border investment to remove cross-border investment barriers.
Senator Bennet (left) with Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu (right)
Bennet leads several efforts to strengthen cooperation with Indo-Pacific allies and partners to enhance regional deterrence.
He authored a provision in the FY27 SSCI-passed IAA directing the strengthening of intelligence cooperation with U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, particularly Japan, and collaboration with Taiwan as appropriate. Bennet also leads legislation to enhance U.S-Taiwan space cooperation – which passed out of committee earlier this year. He wrote legislation in the FY27 Senate Armed Services Committee-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to ensure the transmission of U.S.-Ukraine UAS expertise to Taiwan and Japan, among other partners.
Additionally, Bennet leads legislation requiring a Government Accountability Office report on how delays of U.S. foreign military sales (FMS) to Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan affect the U.S. ability to build, posture, and sustain deterrence along the First Island Chain, as well as legislation to assess the expansion the U.S.-led Multinational Force-Operation Olympic Defender to include additional Indo-Pacific allies such as Japan. Bennet secured versions of both of these in the FY27 NDAA report.
Earlier this year, ahead of May 2026 summit between President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping, Bennet and Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) led 10 bipartisan colleagues on a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirming congressional support for the Taiwan Relations Act and underscoring their belief that there should be no unilateral changes to this policy nor any new U.S. declaratory policy on Taiwan.
Last year, Bennet passed into law legislation requiring the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen U.S.-led multilateral efforts to deter China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific, including in the Taiwan Strait. In November 2025, the President signed into law legislation Bennet co-sponsored requiring regular State Department reviews of and updated guidelines on U.S. engagement with Taiwan.
Bennet sponsors additional legislation to streamline U.S. arms sales to Taiwan; to codify the Six Assurances as foundational U.S. policy toward Taiwan; to strengthen Taiwan’s international standing; to support Taiwan’s partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean; and to deter China’s aggression against Taiwan by identifying targets for sanctions the United States could rapidly impose if China moves against Taiwan; and to provide expedited double-tax relief on U.S.-Taiwan cross-border investment.
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