TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — United States Representative Scott Perry has put forth a proposal for a “Taiwan PLUS Act,” which would see the nation become a member of an Asian version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), reports said Tuesday (March 23).

The Pennsylvania Republican’s plan would give Taiwan the same level of treatment in terms of arms sales as the other “NATO Plus” candidates, such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and eventually India, the Liberty Times reported.

Perry, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wants the U.S. to take an even stronger stance against Beijing and even recognize Taiwan diplomatically. He said the legislation he proposed would improve military capabilities against China and that if it becomes law, Taiwan could be regarded as a country in all relevant laws and regulations within five years, Perry said.

Every five years, the secretary of state would have the right to extend the measure if it is found to serve the national security interest.