Taiwan to boost military spending to 'deter war' with China
President Lai Ching-te said in a National Day speech that his country is boosting defense spending to 'deter war' with China. It comes after US President Donald Trump asked Taiwan to pay for US protection.
President Lai Ching-te announced on Saturday that Taiwan will significantly increase its defense budget to NT$1.1 trillion ($34.5 billion) in 2027, representing over 3% of the country's GDP. This move aims to deter potential Chinese aggression, as Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out military force to assert control.
The president emphasized that the increased defense spending is not intended to provoke conflict but rather to prevent it, while also demonstrating Taiwan's commitment to self-defense to the United States. Lai cautioned that peace cannot be taken for granted and accused China of employing military and grey-zone tactics to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, but concerns over US arms sales to Taiwan persist. Taiwan faces a formidable adversary in China, whose military is rapidly modernizing with advanced weapons. Despite this, Taiwan is bolstering its armed forces and defense capabilities to counter the growing pressure from Beijing.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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