Advertisement
Taiwan defence budget delays may push island down US priority list, William Lai warns
Island’s leader has appealed to opposition parties to stop blocking a US$40 billion spending plan, citing the need to ‘safeguard security’
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
10
Lawrence Chungin Taipei
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has appealed for public support amid a dispute about a special military budget, warning that the deadlock could delay key weapons deliveries and send the island down the US arms supply priority list.
The NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special budget has been repeatedly blocked by opposition parties, even as Taipei has come under increasing US pressure to prove its commitment to its own defence.
Analysts warn that continued delays could weaken perceptions of Taiwan’s defence resolve in Washington and regional capitals as the US reassesses its security priorities amid intensifying competition with Beijing.
Advertisement
Lai said this week that strengthening defence spending was “not an act of provocation” but a “necessary step to safeguard security and maintain regional stability”.
At a news conference on Wednesday, he also urged lawmakers on all sides to begin a substantive review of the special budget bill when the legislature reopened on February 24 after the Lunar New Year holiday.
Advertisement
Admiral Mei Chia-shu, the chief of the general staff, said at the same press briefing that Taiwan had already finished coordinating its plans with the US over pricing, delivery and supply schedules.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x